


Children of the Wild Ones

by DefaltManifesto



Series: Becoming a Pack [20]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Background Relationships, Canon Divergence - Season 2 Finale, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Original Character(s), Polyamorous Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-27
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-30 15:54:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 100,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1020562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefaltManifesto/pseuds/DefaltManifesto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just as the pack is starting to settle down, a new family of hunters moves into town, and so does a new werewolf pack. It's hard to keep their territory when there's a family itching to put them down. Somehow, the Argents will have to work with the newly formed Hale Pack to save Beacon Hills from those intent on burning it all down.</p><p>Can be read as standalone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This story can be read as a standalone with just this basic knowledge:
> 
> The pack is polyamorous. The established relationships are: Derek Hale/Isaac Lahey, Isaac Lahey/Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Vernon Boyd/Lydia Martin, Erica Reyes/Vernon Boyd, Erica Reyes/Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes/Derek Hale, Scott McCall/Derek Hale, Scott McCall/Isaac Lahey/Jackson Whittemore, Scott McCall/Stiles Stilinski, Erica Reyes/Stiles Stilinski. 
> 
> The relationships in the tags are the relationships that are going to be the main focus of this story. It is AU after the Season 2 Finale. Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy. Please let me know if there are certain kinks or pairings you want to see throughout, and I'll take it into consideration as I write.
> 
> Final note: title is taken from the song We Must Be Killers by Mikky Ekko.

[My tumblr for updates](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

Stiles woke up to a silent house. That wasn't particularly odd on its own. As Sheriff, his dad got pulled out pretty often in the middle of the night, and sure when he was younger that had made him nervous, but now he was used to it. With the rise in supernatural activity, he was a bit more paranoid but he could live with it. Still sleep at night.

Mostly.

That didn't stop him from hopping on his laptop the moment he woke up to look for any news. It was pretty much a bust though. If something big  _had_  happened, the police were managing to keep the media at bay still. Stiles couldn't shake the feeling though that something had happened, and shared his thoughts with Scott on the way to English that morning.

"I don't know man. I haven't picked up on anything weird lately," Scott said with a shrug.

"Okay but generally speaking my gut feelings are right. I'm just saying," Stiles said.

"Dude, name one time," Scott said, sliding into his seat.

"Uh, Matt? Did you forget that whole bit?" Stiles asked.

Scott's teasing expression died and he looked away before pulling out his books. "Yeah, point taken."

"Okay, maybe it's still too soon to rub that in your face. Sorry," Stiles said as he took a seat next to Scott.

"I just feel bad I couldn't save him," Scott said.

"He was going to kill us."

"Still."

"Well you can't save everyone. Especially the crazy ones."

Before he could try and back pedal again, Allison took her seat in front of Scott, dropping her bag on the ground with a thud. She turned and looked at them both, a worried look in her eyes.

"My dad was monitoring the police scanner last night. Apparently they found a body in the woods last night by the Hale house," she said. "He went and looked before the police got there. It's definitely a werewolf kill."

Stiles kicked Scott's leg. "Told you."

"Stiles. Werewolf kill. Try and take it seriously," Allison said.

"Derek probably knows about it then," Scott said. "And maybe this  _isn't_  the best time to talk about it."

The three of them glanced around, realizing the odd looks they were getting.

"What?" Stiles asked, meeting the eyes of a few of their classmates. "Never heard of League of Legends?"

Their teacher walked in and Stiles pulled his books out, smirking a bit when he saw Scott sinking down in his chair. Despite his bluster, Stiles was worried. He  _knew_  the pack was under control,  _knew_  they weren't going around murdering innocent people at night. Allison didn't seem too worried about her dad coming after them though, so at the very least there was that.

Of course that meant there was another werewolf and after the Alpha pack, Stiles wasn't overly keen on that. When the bell rang, he jerked out of his thoughts.

"Dude, you need to calm down," Scott said as they left the classroom. "You look like you're about to jump out of your skin."

He squeezed Stiles' shoulder tight and Stiles let his shoulders slump under the pressure.

"Sorry. Allison, is your dad going to try and kill us?" Stiles asked.

Allison rolled her eyes. "Of course not. He and Derek have a treaty. He knows not to break it just over speculation."

"We'll talk to everyone at lunch and meet up at Derek's after school," Scott said. "Can you get your dad there?"

"Yeah, no problem," Allison said. She headed off down a different hallway with a small wave.

"Look at you, bossing everyone around with your big bad Alpha powers," Stiles said, slinging an arm around Scott's shoulders.

"I'm not a  _real_  Alpha," Scott said.

"Then what are you?" Stiles asked.

Scott glanced over at him. "Honestly, I have no freaking clue."

"God, you're hopeless. I'll Google it."

Scott snorted. "Yeah, good luck."

 

-.-

 

"I have become a soccer mom," Stiles grumbled, slamming the driver's side door shut.

"If you were a soccer mom, your Jeep wouldn't smell like nasty lacrosse uniforms," Erica said from beside him.

"Hey, I will revoke your passenger seat rights," Stiles said. "I'm sure Danny wouldn't mind being able to escape being squished between Boyd and Isaac."

"Nah, this is  _so_  much better than the back seat of Jackson's Porsche," Danny said.

"Oh my God, you're actually serious," Stiles said, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, the Porsche smells like sex all the time. I'll never have to worry about that in here," Danny said with a smirk.

Stiles glared at him through the rearview mirror. "Thanks Danny. I revoke your passenger seat rights forever."

"Are we there yet?" Isaac asked, his voice an exaggerated whine.

"Stop whining or so help me I will turn this Jeep around," Stiles said.

Erica snickered and then pried one of his hands off the wheel to twine with her hand. "Poor baby. So why exactly are we going to Derek's?"

"Yeah you guys were pretty vague at lunch," Boyd said.

"It was annoying," Isaac said.

"You'll know in five minutes," Stiles said. "I don't want to get the Jeep damaged due to angry werewolves."

"Oh great, that doesn't bode well," Erica said, tone nonchalant even as her hand tightened around Stiles'.

Stiles rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. Jackson and Scott beat them there, and when the rest of them got into the house, Jackson, Lydia, and Scott were already on the couch. Isaac bounded passed them and then stretched out on top of their laps.

"God you're such a puppy," Lydia said.

"That he is," Derek said, walking into the living room from the kitchen. "Everyone have a seat. We're still waiting on Allison and Chris."

"Great. Now I  _know_  it's bad," Boyd said.

He took a seat on the floor in front of Lydia and Erica sat on his lap. Danny sat on the arm of the couch closest to Jackson and Stiles took a seat beside Boyd, not at all surprised when Erica reached out to snag his hand once more.

"Before they get here, I have a question and I want your complete honesty," Derek said, fixing them each with a hard stare. "No one's going to get in trouble. I promise."

"Just ask already," Erica said.

"Were any of you out last night?"

Stiles craned his head back, not really surprised to see everyone shake their heads. Except for Lydia, who suddenly looked scared and a little bit nervous.

"Lydia, what happened?" Derek asked.

Stiles had to give him credit. A year ago, he'd have angrily been demanding who had gone crazy and killed someone, and then promptly killed whoever he thought it was.

"I don't know. I woke up in the woods at like, two in the morning," Lydia said. "I just...went back to my house."

"Did you see anything?" Derek asked.

Lydia shook her head. "Look. I don't  _know_  what my deal is okay? I wish I knew why this kept happening but I don't." Jackson wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she slumped into his grip. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Derek said. "We know you're not a killer. Probably. Either way we'll take care of you."

"I'm not some maiden in distress," Lydia said.

"Of course not," Derek said. "I'm just saying, so don't freak out on me."

"Before he could say anything else, there was a knock on the door and he went to answer it. When he came back in it was with Chris and Allison in tow. Allison sat down beside Stiles, gaze flicking to his and Erica's clasped hands before flicking back up to her father.

Chris' arms were folded across his chest as he looked at them. "I forgot how young you all are. And I seem to remember saying Danny and Lydia were not allowed to join, Derek."  
"With all due respect, Mr. Argent, I didn't really give him a choice," Danny said.

"And I'd bet you didn't either Lydia," Chris said.

"Nope, so you're stuck with us," Lydia said. "So what the hell is going on?"

"Someone was killed last night. It was definitely a werewolf kill," Derek said. "I checked the body myself."

"When? I didn't see you there," Chris said.

"I went to the morgue this afternoon. Scott's mom let me in," Derek said.

"Oh, did you use those charming social skills of yours?" Stiles asked.

"Dude, did you flirt with my mom?" Scott asked. "Seriously, that's weird."

"No, to both of those," Derek said. "Can we take this seriously?"

"Sorry," Scott said. "So if it wasn't any of us, what do we do?"

"It could just be an omega passing through couldn't it?" Boyd asked. "It happened before, right?"

"It could be. But there's another complication," Chris said. He glanced over at Derek. "Another family of hunters is moving in. They heard about you from when Kate was killed. They're known to be a bit...vicious. They'll jump at a chance to hunt you down."

"We have a treaty though, right?" Isaac asked.

"You have a treaty with the Argent family. The Grossman family does not  _have_  to honor it, though I will do what I can to convince them to do so," Chris said. "In the meantime, you and your pack should try and find whoever's behind the death and drive them out."

"And if you can't convince them to hold off, then what? We just don't sleep and pray they don't kill us?" Isaac asked.

Stiles looked back at him, stomach clenching uncomfortably at the guarded look in Isaac's eyes. Sure, Isaac wasn't exactly his favorite person, but ever since the whole pack thing had solidified, Isaac had eased up on the biting sarcasm and become more tolerable. He wasn't too keen on seeing Isaac close back up again.

"No matter what happens, Allison and I will  _not_  reveal your identities," Chris said. "We can make a treaty if it'd make you feel better."

"Official is always better," Scott said.

"Understandable," Chris said. "Derek and I can take care of the details tomorrow. In the meantime, be careful. I can't protect you if you aren't."

"When is this family moving in?" Derek asked.

"They already did," Chris said. "They invited myself and Allison to dinner tonight."

Stiles glanced over at Allison, but she was stubbornly looking down at her lap instead. He turned back to look at Derek and Chris. He always hated it when the adults of their little group looked worried, not that Stiles could really count Derek as an adult. Definitely too much of a douchebag for that.

"Allison, we should go. Derek, I'll leave you to run your pack. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds," Chris said.

Allison got to her feet and followed Chris without another word. There was a few moments of silence and then Isaac sat up, nearly kicking Stiles in the process of wedging himself between Scott and Lydia.

"So, not to sound like an idiot but what exactly do we do during the full moon?" Isaac asked. "Lock ourselves up like before?"

"No, not unless you think you need it," Derek said. "But no being careless with your powers, which means no crazy stunts during lacrosse  _Scott._ "

"Hey, Jackson and Isaac do it now too," Scott said. "But you're right. We'll be careful."

"What happens if they come after you though?" Danny asked.

Stiles looked back at him, a bit surprised at the vulnerable note in Danny's voice. The guy had taken the last full moon in stride, but Stiles knew how well confidence worked as a shield for being scared out of his mind.

"Then we fight," Derek said.

"And kill them, right?" Danny asked, looking up and meeting Derek's eyes. "Kill humans. People. Who have lives and dreams and aspirations."

"You can't think like that," Derek said firmly. "When it's between them living or you living, the choice becomes a lot easier. Luckily for you, you don't have to make that choice. Humans don't always fight and defend in a werewolf pack."

"Well we're certainly not going to just sit back and let you guys try and survive on your own," Lydia said.

"Yeah? What are you going to do then?" Derek asked, the impatience Stiles was so used to bleeding back into his voice.

"Hey, I saved your ass before, don't doubt our hella awesome ability," Stiles said.

"We are not having this conversation," Derek said. "For now, avoid this place. The hunters will know about the Hale Pack, but they won't know who's a part of it besides me."

"So we're just supposed to leave you here on your own?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah, that sounds  _really_  smart," Jackson said.

"This is our home, Derek," Erica said. "Literally for Isaac. We'll be careful that we aren't followed, okay?"  
"Fine, but it's dangerous."

"We fought off an Alpha pack. We'll be okay," Boyd said.

"It's that sort of cocky attitude that gets people killed," Derek said. "You are not invincible. This is a family  _trained_  to eliminate people like us. They don't fight like werewolves, and they'll have different tactics I don't know about because they aren't the Argents."

"Okay, we get it," Scott said. "We'll be careful.  _Really_  careful."

"Good. I'll be in touch. Do what you want until then," Derek said.

He gave them all a hard look before leaving the living room and heading upstairs. Isaac all but chased after him and then Stiles got to his feet.

"Okay, whoever wants a ride home can come with me," he said.

"Actually, we should talk," Danny said, grabbing his backpack and standing up as well. "About Econ."

"Yeah, no one believes that for a second," Stiles said. "Anyone else?"

When no one said anything, Stiles clapped a hand onto Danny's shoulder and dragged him towards the door. "Alright Danny-boy. I guess you can have the passenger seat."

 

-.-

 

Allison pulled her hair back, debating a ponytail before letting it fall down around her shoulders. It was weird, preparing for a dinner like it was any other fancy event where they were trying to sell their weapons. This was a battle. Her father had already lectured her that the Grossmans were notoriously power hungry. They left a pile of bodies, werewolf and human, in their wake and didn't mind knocking out the hunters who disagreed with them.

She wanted her mom. Regardless of what she'd tried to do to Scott, Allison wanted her mom there to hold it all together even when she felt like running. But her mom was dead. She was the head of their two person family so if she faltered tonight, the result would ultimately fall on her shoulders.

"Are you ready?" Chris asked from her doorway.

Allison nodded, head still down as she walked towards him. "Yes, of course."

Chris grabbed her shoulders. "Chin up. Shoulders back. You're a strong woman, Allison. Do not let anyone intimidate you."

"Dad, I'm afraid," she said, meeting his eyes. "How am I supposed to be strong when I'm this scared?"

"You let your worries fall to me," he said. "Fake it until you make it. We're going to be okay."

Allison knew it was a lie. They were never going to be okay, not really. There were always losses, always casualties. But she accepted the lie and followed her father to the car.

The Grossmans lived in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Beacon Hills. Her family had money but not enough to own a three-story mansion that backed up to the woods; easy access to the stereotypical werewolf stomping grounds while still living in the lap of luxury. As they pulled into the driveway, Allison clenched her jaw tight, a sort of protective anger welled up in her chest. These people were content to lay in their beds without a care in the world despite how they wished to wipe out her friends. Under no circumstances was she going to allow it to happen.

"Are you ready?" Chris asked, turning off the car.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Allison said. "They are  _not_  going to walk all over us. This is our home, not their hunting grounds."

Chris smiled, a genuine smile like he used to have. "I can follow that directive."

They got out of the car and headed up to the front door. Allison rang the doorbell and then straightened, lifting her chin. A woman in a way too tight black dress answered the door, her blonde curls falling low enough to completely cover the straps of the dress.

"Hello. I'm Lisa Grossman. You must be Chris and Allison," she said, her voice sickeningly sweet.

 _Obviously_ , Allison thought. "It's a pleasure ma'am."

"Oh none of that now," Lisa said, stepping back to let them through. "Ma'am makes me fell older than I am."

She winked at Chris and Allison resisted the urge to punch her in the face. She took their coats and hung them in the hallway closet.

"Lisa? Is that them?" A man emerged from the kitchen, thick brown hair slicked back with carefully sculpted stubble lining his jaw. "I'm Sean, Lisa's wife. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father was quite the famous hunter Chris. Stellar work."

"I think we have different definitions of the word," Allison said with a pleasant smile. "But thank you."

Sean's smile faltered, and then he turned to the staircase off to the left. "Sara! Our guests are here!"

"You can follow me to the main dining room," Lisa said. "Sean is almost done with the roast."

The dining room was extravagant, a high ceiling with a large, twinkling chandelier above a long table made of beautiful oak with ten matching chairs. Allison did not hesitate to take a seat at one of the ends of the table, smiling at Lisa when the older woman's jaw visibly tightened. Chris took a seat at Allison's right, sharing an approving glance with her.

"So these are the famous Argents," a new voice said.

It belonged to a woman, tall, probably as tall as Sean, in a blue summer dress. Her hair was a deep shade of red, auburn, but it was easy to see the familial connection in their high cheekbones and sharp jawlines.

"This is Sara, Sean's sister," Lisa said.

"I'm Josh," said the boy beside her. He reminded her of Scott, his face open and smiling with as mess of brown curls on his head. He wore jeans and a blazer, not as formal as Sean's button down and tie. When Allison met his olive colored eyes though, she was met with a wall of unfeeling ice. "Sara's my mom."

He took a seat on Allison's left.

"Josh is your age," Sara said, sitting down beside her son. "I put him in a few of your classes. I thought you could show him around."

"I'd love to," Allison said.

"And here are my kids," Lisa said. "Aspen, Piper, and Logan."

Aspen and Piper were obviously twins with matching light brown hair straight down to their shoulders with straight bangs cut just above their brows. Their eyes were a cold steel blue, but they didn't even attempt to smile or appear open like Josh. Logan's hair was darker than his sisters', but his eyes were a warmer blue, like Isaac's when he was with Derek. A possible weak link in a family of killers.

"Dinner is served," Sean said, emerging from the kitchen with more flourish than necessary. "Aspen, please set the table."

Aspen rose from her seat without a word and left to retrieve the silverware.

"Aspen is being groomed to be the leader of our little family," Lisa said with a smile.

Sean finished cutting up the roast before setting it in the middle and taking a seat at the head of the table. "For now, I still call the shots. Neither Sara or Lisa are leader material."

"Everyone can be shaped into a leader with the right training, but I understand it's not for everyone," Chris said.

Aspen returned and began to set the table with brisk movements before returning to her seat. The roast, vegetables, and potatoes were passed around after Aspen sat.

"It's a bit early to let Allison take the lead, isn't it?" Sean asked, gaze still fixed on Chris.

"With all due respect, Sean, my grandfather and mother trained me. To say I am not prepared to lead and protect my family and town is to do their memory a great injustice," Allison said, meeting Sean's eyes.

There was a tense moment of silence, and then Logan gave a snorting laugh.

"I think you bit off more than you could chew, Dad," Logan said.

"Suck up," Piper said.

"Well she's got a point," Logan said. "Anyone trained by Gerard  _and_  Victoria is going to be good."

"I apologize for any offense," Sean said. "Your grandfather was a true inspiration for hunters everywhere."

"No offense taken," Allison said. It made her sick to defend Gerard, but she knew it was necessary. "At the end of the day, I am my mother's daughter. That should speak for my character just fine."

"We heard rumors of what happened here, though nothing confirmed," Sara said. "Could you possibly tell us what actually happened?"

Allison's first instinct was to look to her father for support but she couldn't. She was the leader. She could set the path and let Chris worry about the rest.

"There was a Kanima. We managed to eliminate both threats," Allison said.

" _Both_  threats?" Josh pressed.

"Kanimas have masters. You have to eliminate both," Allison said.

"Did you fight it up close?" Piper asked, the barest hint of curiosity in her voice.

"A few times. Gerard was the one who ultimately eliminated it," Allison said. A blatant lie, sure, but it wasn't like they could check the facts with a dead man.

"And what about the Alpha?" Lisa asked. Her bubbly demeanor had all but vanished, a cold look similar to her daughters' in her eyes. "The one who killed Kate?"

"Dead," Allison said. Not a complete lie. Peter  _had_  died after all, no need to mention he was still out there, roaming around.

"And the Alpha Pack? We heard rumblings about that," Sean said.

"Eliminated," Allison said She could still see Scott wrestling an Alpha down with Isaac in her mind's eye, hear his cry as Derek cut his throat. "There are no threats currently."

"Except the mangled body they found last night," Lisa said. Her gaze was searching Allison's the way her mother's used to, searching for a chink in the armor, searching for the lie.

"Chris is looking into it," Allison said. "Probably just an omega."

"Or Hale is rebuilding his pack," Sara said, one side of her lips twisting into something close to a snarl.

"Unlikely. What do you know about the Hale Pack?" Chris asked.

"What's to know?" Josh asked. "It's not like they're anywhere close to as threatening as they used to be. Just one puppy left right?"

He and Sara shared a laugh that made Allison's fist want to meet their face.

"Why haven't you eliminated him yet?" Josh asked.

"He isn't a threat. We have treaties with the Hales, even if there's only one left. We intend to honor it," Allison said.

"You already roasted the rest of them. What's one more?" Lisa smirked and Allison struggled not to glare at her.

"My choices are not to be questioned. I will honor those treaties until there is concrete proof that it has been broken," Allison said. "I have not questioned your ethics or the way you have chosen to run your life. Give me the same respect."

Sean wiped his mouth with his napkin before setting it in his lap. "You're a smart girl Allison. I'm sure you understand that you are not in a position of power any longer. This may have been your town, but we're here now. It is a simple matter of survival of the fittest. Your family has proven that they simply aren't fit any longer."

Allison and Chris stood at the same time, but Allison held up a hand to stop Chris from talking.

"I may be new to my position, but I will  _not_  tolerate this lack of respect. I am an  _Argent_. Your family name may be well known now, but the Argent line is well known through out all of history, back to the origins of hunters themselves. We may be few, but I  _know_  my history. Do not cross us. History will tell you what to expect if you do. Please. Do  _not_  have a good evening."

Allison turned on her heel and left the room, locking down on the panic in her chest until she had retrieved her jacket. Her father's hand was a warm and steadying weight on her back, guiding her to the car. Only when the mansion was out of sight did Allison allow herself to crumple forward and dissolve into tears. She didn't know what to do, didn't know how to find the manpower to outgun a family of hunters.

"What do we do?" Allison asked through her tears.

"We do what Argents have always done. We fight and we survive."

 

-.-

 

Danny watched from the couch as Stiles grabbed a bag of chips and two cans of Mountain Dew from the kitchen, hoping that he looked entirely calm. Stiles shoved the soda into his hands before hopping over the back of the couch to sit beside Danny.

"Alright Danny. What's on your mind?" Stiles asked, opening the bag of chips and setting it on the coffee table in front of them.

"How about the fact that I actually want to talk to you about my feelings? That's really weird to begin with," Danny said.

"Oh c'mon. You don't mean that." Stiles' voice sounded hurt though as he grabbed the cans of soda and set them on the table by the chips.

"No. I don't, I'm just freaking out. Sorry," Danny said. "Just...people are going to die, aren't they?"

"Probably," Stiles said. "Hopefully not us."

"And you're just  _okay_  with that?" Danny asked. "We're teenagers. We can't just  _kill_  people. It's wrong."

"Well what else can we do?" Stiles asked. "Let them kill us?"

"Can't you get them arrested?" Danny asked.

"Look, Danny, I get where you're coming from, seriously. But it isn't that easy. You think they'll be stopped by the police but they won't," Stiles said. There was a faraway look in his eyes, eyes that all the sudden refused to meet Danny's. "They think they're right. They think they're protecting people, or think they have every right to get their revenge. They don't care about killing as many innocent people they need to get the job done."

Even with his experience with the last full moon and with the last time he'd talked with Stiles, the real danger of the situation hadn't sunk in. Not really. But now, Danny could hear the fear in Stiles' voice, could see the haunted look in his eyes that no one their age should have. Then Stiles was looking back at him and shrugging.

"It's kill or be killed. I'm sure Scott will try and find a way around it, but that's never really worked out that well for us," Stiles said.

"I honestly don't know what I've gotten myself into. I'm never going to be able to kill someone, even if they're pointing a gun at me," Danny said.

"Drink the Mountain Dew and eat something. You'll feel better I swear," Stiles said. "We can always talk to Deaton too. I'm sure he can come up with something for us to do to keep us out of everyone's way."

"Deaton's the vet right?" Danny asked after eating a handful of chips.

"So he claims. But he knows a shit ton about this supernatural crap so I'm sure he'll have something," Stiles said. "You can always just leave this to us."

"No way. Jackson needs me. I'm not letting my best friend go into this without me. Not again."

"I will never understand why you're so dedicated to such a douchebag, but whatever. I'm just saying...you feel that way now. Whens hit really hits the fan, you might want to dodge and get out of the way. No one would hold it against you. Scott didn't when I tapped out," Stiles said. "Fuck, I'm bad at words. I just mean don't feel obligated to put your life on the line."

Danny shook his head and leaned back, staring at the living room ceiling. "This is too much. How did you manage this last year?"  
"Not well. Seriously, I'm not sure how I passed any of my classes," Stiles said. "At least there's a pack now. We can help each other or whatever. Last year, Derek was too angsty and Isaac and Erica were power hunger and Boyd...I don't know, he mostly followed Derek around like a puppy."

"How do you sleep at night?" Danny asked.

He meant it in a joking manner, but when he sat back up, Stiles was staring down at his lap, fiddling with a stray string from his shirt with the far away look in his eyes again.

"I'd love to make a smart-ass remark but...I'm trying this new thing where I'm somewhat honest when people ask me serious questions," Stiles said. "So. Not going to lie, sleeping sucks. Last year after Jackson did his weird dying thing, Allison's crazy-ass grandpa kidnapped me and beat the shit out of me in front of Erica and Boyd. I see that, remember that, pretty much every time I close my eyes."

It was bizarre and sort of painful to hear how distraught Stiles was. The sarcasm and bluster Danny was so used to hearing was gone. The person before him was not the Stiles Stilinski he had grown up with; no bouncy energy, no jackhammer leg beating out an odd rhythm on the ground, no excitement.

"This...this life is going to destroy me," Danny said quietly.

Stiles shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying. The nightmares suck. The danger also sucks. I wouldn't give it up though. I couldn't. It's going to be hard and terrifying but friends? They make it easier. You've got people to be afraid with, you know?"

Stiles offered a tentative smile, different than any other smile Danny had seen on his face. The new side to him was enlightening, and Danny had a feeling not many people got to see him so vulnerable. Danny wasn't quite sure he deserved it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Danny said.

"Well Danny-boy, I can't live your life for you. I can give you chips and soda while you think it over though," Stiles said. "And I'll let you in on another secret."

"Yeah?"

"I'm actually really good at econ so I can help you with that too. See? I have multiple uses!"

"You're an idiot."

 

-.-

 

Lydia listened to the engine of Jackson's car grow quieter and quieter from where she sat on the couch in Derek's house. The times when she got to speak with Derek on her own were rare given that Isaac  _lived_  there, but the beta had decided to stay with Jackson for the night. Lydia hadn't needed to say anything, and she blessed Isaac's odd ability of just knowing what peopled needed from him.

"So I'm assuming you stayed behind for a reason," Derek said.

He stood by the entryway between the kitchen and living room, almost like he was afraid to be in the same room as her. Which was one, weird, and two, made her feel like an outsider, like the trust she had carefully cultivated over the summer was gone.

"I...wanted to talk to you. About how I keep ending up where the dead people are," Lydia said, getting to her feet. "I mean, Stiles is great with Google but he doesn't have a ton of actual information on what's wrong with me."

Derek sighed and unfolded his crossed arms, though he seemed to lean away from her when she took a step towards him. "Peter left his laptop here when he left. I'll give it to you, and you can use whatever you find."

"So what? You think I'll be in Peter's little bestiary somewhere?" Lydia advanced on him, unable to keep the angered note out of her voice. "You think I'm not human, don't you? That I'm some sort of freak?"

"Well you  _aren't_  human, Lydia. You can't deny that. Humans aren't just  _immune_  to the bite," Derek said, straightening up and meeting her eyes.

"Well it's certainly not my fault so stop looking at me like I'm about to grow fangs and try to kill you," Lydia said. "Because I'm terrified by what's happening to me and I can't do this if I've got my friends abandoning me."

Derek seemed to deflate at her words, eyes closing for a moment. "You're right. I'm sorry. I don't know how to help you though."

"You could actually go through Peter's laptop with me," Lydia said. "Instead of just leaving me on my own."

"Okay. You're going to have to crack his password though. I have no idea what it is," Derek said.

"I'll be back tomorrow then and we'll go through it together," she said.

Derek gave a short nod and then headed upstairs to grab the laptop. He was back before Lydia could move back into the living room, handing off the bag it was in. He looked almost guilty when she met his eyes, and with a sigh she set the laptop on one of the end tables before wrapping her arms around him. She didn't touch him often, but she had noticed pretty much everyone else in the pack relaxed when she gave them any sort of affection. From the way Derek went limp against her, she figured it worked.

"You wanna give me a ride home?" she asked after a moment.

Derek laughed, breath blowing across the top of her head. "Sure."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia helps Allison plot against the Grossmans, Danny and Stiles decide to see if Deaton will stop being so sketchy, and the werewolf pack makes its second move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is ready to go. My goal is to have this done by the end of November as a sort of NaNoWriMo challenge to myself. Will I succeed? No one knows.

Allison fought every urge she had to stay in bed and allow the world to turn without her. Screw werewolves, screw the hunters, they could all sort it out themselves. Except she could never be that selfish, not really. Even when she had done what Gerard had asked of her, she had always been looking out for her family, no matter what people seemed to think.

She put her make up on like it was her battle armor, covering the dark circles from the absence of sleep, the swollen red skin from crying. With each brush of her fingers over her face, she stowed away more and more of her fear and worry behind the wall of cold anger she had seen on her mom. She wondered how often her mother had to fake anger or happiness to cover up the fear.

When she arrived in English ten minutes early, Logan and Josh were already there in Scott and Stiles' usual seat behind her. The other two hadn't shown up yet. There was a brief moment when she hesitated, wanting to put as much distance between herself and them but then she took her usual seat. She wasn't going to let them intimidate her after all, not with her pack and her father ready to stand behind her.

A blush crept up the back of her neck at the thought. Pack. Her pack. It was starting to feel right when she thought it, not scary or wrong like before. A tap on her shoulder jolted her out of her thoughts and she quickly stamped out the smile threatening on her lips before turning to face Logan.

"Hey, I wanted to apologize for what my parents said last night. They were out of line," Logan said.

"Out of line but still correct," Josh said, though he refused to look over at her.

"What Josh is trying to say is that we're all better off working together. Our parents are probably talking it all out right now," Logan said.

"Then my father is probably refusing," Allison said. "I'm the head of my family. If your parents want to talk terms, they talk to me."

"Or we could just kill you and do what we came here for," Josh said. Both Allison and Logan turned to stare at him and after a moment, Josh sighed and rolled his eyes. "Kidding. Obviously."

Before Allison could respond, Stiles and Scott noisily took seats on either side of her. Scott's eyes met hers for a brief moment, and she could tell he'd been listening in, but then he turned in his seat to face Josh, smile open and friendly.

"Hey, I'm Scott. You must be new," he said.

Allison hid her smile by turning back around, sharing a quick look with Stiles as she did so. She allowed herself to relax, letting Scott and Stiles' distract the other two with rapid fire, way too enthusiastic questions until class started. That only worked for so long though because at lunch, before she could join her pack, Aspen and Piper flanked her with Josh and Logan behind them.

"So nice of you to offer to sit with us," Aspen said, guiding her over to an empty table.

"Not to be horribly blunt, but I didn't," Allison said.

"Hm. I thought you did," Piper and Aspen said.

They sat on either side of her with Josh in front of Allison and Logan in front of Aspen.

"Look, I don't enjoy this 'we're better than you' routine," Allison said, fingers still clenched tight around her tray. "Tell me what you want, I'll decide if I care, and then we go separate ways."

"You misunderstand me," Aspen said, angling towards her. "You are better than me. But you don't have soldiers or the manpower to do your job."

"You're not soldiers," Allison said

"We've killed enough," Piper said.

"That makes you a killer. Soldiers have honor," Allison said.

She moved to stand but then Aspen's hand wrapped tight around her wrist like a cold anchor, unmoving and unwilling to let her free. Allison looked down at her, glaring.

"You are too soft, but we could learn from you," Aspen said, blue eyes still unreadable. "And you could learn from us. Do not close the door on this opportunity."

Allison wanted to shake her off and cling to her anger for what Aspen stood for, but she paused and thought. Thought about what her mom would do. Her mom was ruthless. She had seized every opportunity given and exploited it completely for her own gain. These people weren't her friends, so there was no reason to feel guilty.

"Fine." Allison sat back down, trying to keep her heartbeat down. "Let's talk then."

 

-.-

 

Lydia climbed into the passenger seat of Allison's car, looking her over for the third time in the last ten minutes. There was something off about her, the way every motion seemed almost too relaxed, not matching up with the hard look in her eyes.

"Something happened at lunch, didn't it?" Lydia asked. "Scott said those people you were sitting with were the new hunters."

"It's no big deal. I'm just befriending them so they'll let their guard down," Allison said, pointedly avoiding Lydia's gaze as she started the car.

"So if it isn't a big deal, why won't you look at me?" Lydia asked.

For a tense moment, Allison didn't look at her, and then Lydia felt her heart break when a few tears began to roll down her face. Lydia sighed, turned the car off and then leaned across the seat to wrap her arms around Allison as best she could. Allison shook in her grasp, clinging to Lydia's arms as she began to cry harder, sucking in huge, gasping breaths. The last time Lydia had seen her so distraught was when her mother had died, though admittedly that had been significantly worse.

"Oh come on Allison, don't do this," Lydia said quietly, rubbing the other girl's back. "Don't hold it in so much that you end up like this, it's upsetting."

"They're horrible Lydia. All of them." Allison's words came out between gasps and sobs, her fingers wrinkling the fabric of Lydia's jacket. "I hate them and it's so hard to be nice and pretend the words they say don't hurt!"

"Hey, you don't have to pretend to be their friend, Allison," Lydia said. "No one's asking you to do something that makes you so upset."

"But I have to, don't you see that? I'm our only chance of knowing what they know, what they are planning to do to my friends but I'm scared and terrified that they'll figure me out and kill us all," Allison said.

Lydia took a deep breath and pulled back. "Okay well if you want to fool them and not get us killed, this crying in the middle of the parking lot is going to have to stop."

Allison looked up at her. "What?"

"I know better than to persuade you," Lydia said, throwing her hands up. "So. If we're going to do this, we do it right. I'll help."

Allison's face almost crumpled again, but instead she took a deep breath, lower lip trembling. "Okay. Okay. What do we do?"

"Drive. We'll sort it out at your house," Lydia said.

When they arrived, Chris was still at work giving Lydia time to work out a plan without interruption. She set her purse on Allison's dresser and her backpack on the floor before sitting on the edge of her bed. Allison set her things aside and then sat beside Lydia, searching the red head's face.

"So...develop any master plan while I was driving?" Allison asked.

"Mmm, not quite," Lydia said. "Though one thing is certainly obvious. You can't stop hanging out with Scott and the rest of the pack."

"Avoiding them will keep them safe," Allison said.

"No, no, it'll make things more suspicious. You and Scott's imminent get back together is all the talk of the rumor mill," Lydia said. "And if they're smart, they'll be paying attention to who you hang out with. Also, you and I are known as best friends. Trust me. If you're friends with us, that automatically puts us under the radar at least it should."

"How are you not an Argent?" Allison asked, a barely there smile beginning to form on her lips.

"Well I can always marry in. Your dad's not bad for like what? Forty?"

Allison laughed and smacked her shoulder. "Lydia!"

"What? Made you laugh," Lydia said with a toss of her hair over her shoulder. "So out of the four, which one can we make fall in love with you?"

Allison frowned. "Wait, what?"

"Oh come on Allison. Trained killer or not, they're still hormonal boys," Lydia said, getting to her feet. "Although Piper is definitely giving off a lesbian vibe."

"No. Not happening."

Lydia tapped her chin. "Yeah, you going after Piper wouldn't be believable."

"No, not that. Any of them. I won't...trick them like that," Allison said, wrapping her arms around herself and staring at the ground. "Besides, you're better at the seduce and destroy thing than I am."

"True, but Logan was already making puppy dog eyes at you," Lydia said.

"You are right," Allison said. "He's got more of a heart than his sisters do anyways."

"Then we have our weak link to completely destroy," Lydia said. "After we get as much information out of him as possible."

"I still feel bad," Allison said, looking back up at her.

"Okay let's put it this way. Either we exploit any weakness we can find or your friends all die from arrows or bullets," Lydia said.

"You know, you're sounding a lot like Kate," Allison said.

Lydia's heart clenched and then she was falling to her knees and grabbing Allison's hands in her own. "Okay one, your aunt was a manipulative bitch and she and Peter were pretty much made for each other. Second, your aunt wanted you to kill your  _friends_. People who weren't an actual threat. This family  _is_  a threat. Also, I'd die before I manipulated you like that. I didn't like it happening to me and I'll never let that happen to you. Are we clear?"

Allison leaned forward, her forehead knocking against Lydia's as her eyes closed. "Yeah. Clear. I don't deserve someone like you as my best friend."

"Oh don't be ridiculous," Lydia said, pulling back and getting to her feet. "So. We have some what of a plan."

"What about when they start hunting?" Allison asked.

"Well that's easy. Go with them and lead them astray," Lydia said. "Come on Allison. You're smart."

"Smart enough to let Gerard turn me into a killer?"

"Almost turn you. You're not a killer. Besides, Gerard is in the same category as Kate and Peter. Don't think about him," Lydia said.

"You're pretty forgiving," Allison said.

"Everyone's forgiven you Allison. Everyone but you anyways," Lydia said. "Now. I have to go to Derek's. We're going through Peter's laptop together."

"It wasn't password protected?" Allison asked as Lydia put her backpack on.

"Danny cracked it at lunch. The password was actually pretty pathetic," Lydia said, grabbing her purse. "It was 'I'm the real Alpha', all one word."

Allison snorted. "Not surprised. He's pretty desperate. Any word from him yet?"

"Thankfully no," Lydia said.

"Yeah. Seeing him would be...rough."

Lydia shrugged. "For him maybe. Which reminds me. I have a Taser but I wouldn't mind a crossbow on my own."

"Seriously?"

Lydia sighed, shaking her head. "Of course not. I don't own a purse big enough for one of those."

 

-.-

 

"I'm just a veterinarian."

Stiles stared at Deaton and Danny's eyes widened, a bit concerned by the visible throb in Stiles' temple as he leaned over the counter at the vet's. The vet stared right back at Stiles, a pleasant but unreadable expression on his face.

"That is bullshit," Stiles said. "Now you're going to teach Danny and I everything you know."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," Deaton said.

"Stiles, maybe we should just go," Danny said.

"Absolutely not. Now you listen here Alan Deaton, if that  _is_  your real name," Stiles said, jabbing a finger onto the counter.

"Stiles, please. I was just messing with you. Come on in," Deaton said, opening the small door to let them passed the counter.

Stiles slumped against the counter, head thudding against it a few times before he tugged Danny through behind him.

"So I take it you've joined the newly formed Hale Pack," Deaton said, glancing over his shoulder at Danny as he led them down a set of stairs.

"Yeah, sorta."

Deaton paused at a steel door and faced them head on. "Now, before we go in, I need to explain something."

"Oh you're actually going to be honest?" Stiles asked.

"I'm regretting my decision more and more every time you interrupt me, but yes," Deaton said. "Now I used to be what we call an emissary to the Hale Pack, before the fire. Given the nature of the job, self defense against werewolves and other creatures was necessary. Becoming an emissary is a commitment I would not ask you to make at such a young age. That being said, once I start teaching you both what I know, I will not let you back out."

"You're just offering this to us on a whim?" Stiles asked.

"I've been considering the offer for some time," Deaton said. "I've been waiting for you to come to me and not back down. So. Are you both willing to commit?"

"Can you explain more to what exactly we're committing?" Danny asked.

"Your time and energy. At least two hours a night and most of your weekends. It is physical and mental training. I won't push you harder than what you can take. That being said, I know what's best for you," Deaton said.

"I'm going to regret this and I reserve the right to whine like a bitch later but...I'm all in," Stiles said.

Deaton's gaze turned to Danny's and he struggled to meet it. He'd just met the man, but the way Deaton looked at him made him feel like all his secrets and fears were already well known.

"Sure," Danny said. "I'm in."

"Good."

Deaton smiled at them both and pulled out a key to unlock the padlock on the door. He pushed it open and turned on a light to reveal an expansive room, one wall lined with books, the other with weapons, with a wide space with gymnastic mats in the middle.

"Holy shit," Stiles breathed.

"There's an hour until I close up shop," Deaton said. "I recommend you do your homework now."

"Great," Danny said.

The steel door slammed shut after Deaton left. Danny glanced at the weapons and then shook his head before going to sit at the small table by the bookcases. Stiles hesitated and then followed his example.

"This being responsible thing is weird. I want to mess with those weapons so bad but Deaton would know. He always does," Stiles said.

"I'm kind of wondering what we got ourselves into but I want to be able to help. Besides, increasing my chances of survival couldn't hurt," Danny said.

"You're taking this all  _really_  well," Stiles said.

"Thanks. I'm wondering what the full moon will be like without Jackson freaking out and the threat of death over our heads though," Danny said. "You and Scott seemed a bit...preoccupied."

"I swear we just snuggled," Stiles said.

"Uh huh. Didn't think Scott liked guys but I didn't think Jackson did either," Danny said. "So...are you and Scott a...thing?"

"Kinda? And me and Erica. It's weird," Stiles said. "Scott and Isaac are more...free about that sort of thing. I'm still figuring it out. Why?"

"I don't know. It seems weird but I watch you guys and it just seems to...happen so naturally. I feel like this outsider but at the same time I don't want to be too involved," Danny said.

"You know you're doing a bad job of not wanting to talk to me about your feelings," Stiles said, pulling out his history book.

Danny sighed, rubbing his palms over his eyes. "I know. But you're the only one to talk to and I can't just...bottle it up."

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment," Stiles said. "But seriously Danny? I'll talk about whatever. You deserve to know what you're getting into."

"Thanks. You're a better guy than I thought."

Stiles waggled his eyebrows. "Does this mean you think I'm attractive?"

Danny kicked him under the table. "Shouldn't we be doing our homework?"

Stiles groaned and opened the textbook with a thud. "Such a killjoy. One day you'll tell me Danny."

"But that day is not today."

Danny was actually surprised at how Stiles settled in and got to work. His brain always seemed to be sprawling everywhere at once but it seemed once he picked a task he could stick with it. And maybe Danny liked the idea that Stiles was trying to impress him. Danny managed to finish off his homework by the time Deaton came back down, but from Stiles' dramatic groan, Danny supposed Stiles hadn't been as productive as he liked.

"So what's first Boss Man?" Stiles asked.

"Don't call me that. Deaton is perfectly fine," Deaton said. "Now, both of you on your feet. We'll start with weapons training."

Stiles leapt to his feet. "Awesome."

Deaton led them to the wall of weapons and grabbed one of the four staffs. "Cherry wood staff. You won't use these for anything but training. It's a good solid base and helps with using ordinary objects lying around if necessary."

He passed it to Danny. Danny gave it an experimental swing. Deaton easily ducked out of the way and Danny quickly put it back on the rack and Deaton moved on.

"Knife fighting is a lot more useful against werewolves than you think," Deaton said.

"Yeah, Allison took Isaac out with a set of these," Stiles said, grabbing one of the red daggers.

"Don't touch unless I hand it to you," Deaton said, grabbing it back and setting it on the rack. "Bow and arrow after that, then crossbows. Through out you'll train in hand to hand combat. I'll also be teaching you basic properties of herbs and poisons."

"This is amazing," Stiles said. "Why wouldn't you teach us this earlier?"

"You weren't ready for it," Deaton said. "So, we'll start with some hand to hand and then I'll walk you through the basic of the staff work."

Danny knew he was in shape, but by the time Deaton was through with them, he felt like he'd been run over by a steamroller. Stiles was worse off but he still wore an over excited grin, even as he winced with every step to his car. Danny climbed into the passenger seat with a quiet groan.

"I think the most discouraging thing is I'm going to hurt even more tomorrow," Danny said.

"But we're working towards something. For once I'm not going to be entirely useless," Stiles said.

"I don't think anyone saw you as useless," Danny said.

"Eh, I can do more this way. We both can," Stiles said. "Dude, we're going to be spending so much time together now."

Oddly, that thought didn't seem so bad.

 

-.-

 

Lydia got in her car with every intention of going to the Hale house. The sun hadn't quite set, and her last real thought before her memories turned to hazy nothing was that the sky looked quite pretty. But now she was in the woods, crouched in the muck of dead leaves and dirt, knees scraped and bleeding with a body, neck slashed, on the ground before her.

She took a deep, shuddering breath, pushing herself upright on shaking legs. By some miracle she still had her purse so she dug her hand in and pulled out her phone, finding Derek's number and pressing call. He picked up on the second ring.

"Lydia?"

"Uhm...I'm in the woods and I...I don't know where but there's a body and I don't know what to do," she whispered, feeling choked.

"Okay, wait right there, we'll find you. Stay on the phone with me, okay?"  
"I'm not going to keep talking when whoever killed this guy is still out here," Lydia said, forcing the trembling note out of her voice. "I'll be fine just hurry up and find me."

She hung up before Derek could protest and put her phone back in her purse in exchange for her Taser. After a moment, she took off her heels too. She was not an idiot. Only idiots tried to run through the woods in high heels. She backed herself up to a tree, holding the Taser in front of her as her gaze flickered from left to right. The dim light of the setting sun gave a distinct illusion of the shadows moving.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder and a piercing shriek escaped her lips before another hand wrapped over mouth. She bit down hard and kicked at the man's shin before turning the Taser and shoving it towards his neck and pulling the trigger. He dropped like a rock and Lydia fled, not wanting to stick around to see if her attacker could still move.

She didn't get far, running into Boyd's strong form when she wasn't paying attention. She was dimly aware of Derek and Isaac racing passed them, but chose instead to cling to Boyd's warmth. He looped an arm under her legs and picked her up before he began walking.

"You're safe now. Erica is on her way to the house. We'll take care of you," Boyd said.

Lydia wanted to protest and say she could take care of herself but she was too tired and scared to do so. She let herself slump against him and zone out. When she came to again, she was sitting on the edge of a tub, a blanket draped over her shoulders. Boyd was crouched in front of her washing her scraped and bloodied knees with a washcloth.

"Do we know what happened?" she asked, voice hoarse.

"No clue. Derek and Isaac aren't back yet," Boyd said, leaning over to rinse the cloth in the tub.

The bathroom door eased open and Erica stepped through, setting a lump of clothes on the counter.

"They're Derek's," Erica said before she could ask. "If you want to change."

Lydia got to her feet, tightening the blanket around her shoulders. "Sure. I can do that on my own."

Both Boyd and Erica shifted uncomfortably, not too keen on leaving Lydia on her own until she all but threw them out. She tossed the blanket on the floor and looked in the mirror. There were obvious bruised finger marks along her jaw and when she pulled off her muddy jacket and tank top, there was a similar bruise on her shoulder.

She finished shedding the dirty clothes and tugged on Derek's shirt and a pair of what were definitely Isaac's sweatpants. They all practically hung off of her but she felt better with them on. She wrapped the blanket snug around her shoulders again before exiting the bathroom and handing her clothes to Erica.

"You need anything?" Boyd asked as Erica headed downstairs.

Lydia shrugged and then Boyd picked her up and carried her to Derek's room. He put her on the bed and then sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and tugging her close. When Erica finished taking care of her clothes, she came up and snuggled up into Lydia's other side. Lydia let herself slump against Boyd's chest as she tangled her fingers in Erica's hair, grateful that she and Erica had already settled their differences. When Isaac and Derek returned, she sat up, wiping at tears she hadn't realized she'd been crying.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked as Isaac crawled onto the bed and settled on Boyd's lap so he could press up against Lydia as well.

"Yeah. Did you take care of the guy or werewolf or whoever it was?" she asked.

"He's dead," Isaac said. "I kinda...snapped his neck."

"He was stronger than your average omega," Derek said, stepping further into the room. "I'd say we're actually dealing with a pack. Thanks to you, we found the body first. We...took care of it."

"Hid it. So whoever it is...they'll never be found. He'll be missing forever," Lydia said.

"It's that or let another werewolf kill be pinned on us," Derek said.

"All the more reason to track them down and run them off before they do it again," Boyd said. "Right?"

"Tomorrow I'll start looking. For tonight, let's just relax," Derek said. "Regroup."

"So did you find my car? It's got my bag and Peter's laptop in it," Lydia said.

"We found it," Isaac said. "It's in front of the house with your purse. I can drive you home if you want."

Lydia nodded. "Okay."

She pulled herself out of the nest of her packmates but kept the blanket wrapped tight around her shoulders. Derek squeezed her shoulder.

"We'll go through Peter's files tomorrow," Derek said. "And swap clothing."

"Good. Because this is starting to become a problem," Lydia said.

"You're never a problem, Lydia," Derek said.

"When I stop finding all the dead bodies, maybe I'll believe you."

 

-.-

 

Isaac waited until Lydia was safely inside the house before he began heading back down the street. It was comforting to know he didn't care much about his grades or the lack of productivity that night would've bothered him. He was mostly lying to himself though. The idea that he was watching his grades tanks so early on made him worry. Seeing Scott get his shit together despite everything made him want to do the same.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize he was being stalked until he was halfway through the woods to Derek's. Isaac paused and straightened out of his slouch, smirking when his stalker stepped on a twig. He turned around, fists clenching tight as he did so. Aspen stood behind him, or at least Isaac guessed it was her. She didn't have any weapons drawn which was certainly a plus.

"New girl. Hey," Isaac said. "Do you lurk in the woods and follow people home often?"

"Just the suspicious ones," she said. "You seem suspicious."

Isaac raised his eyebrows. "Okay creepy. I'm just going home though so if you want to stop following me that'd be great. I prefer creepy girls to not know where I live."

"I already know you live with Derek Hale," Aspen said, stepping towards him.

Isaac stepped back, hoping he was convincing her he was genuinely afraid. "Okay, great, then I'm going home and calling the cops on you if you follow me."

"You know what he is, don't you?" Aspen asked when Isaac began to turn around.

"Look, he got released. It was proven that he didn't kill anyone and he's been great taking care of me," Isaac said. "So yeah. Take that. And leave me the hell alone."

Aspen frowned. "I see. I'll stop bothering you then."

"You're really fucking weird," Isaac called after her when she began to walk away.

She waved over her shoulder and Isaac blew out a sigh before heading on his way. He wasn't sure he'd been entirely convincing but at least for now, she was done being interested in him. It made the hair stick up on the back of his neck knowing the hunters were so close to his home, to his Alpha.

When he got back, Erica and Boyd had already left. Derek was sitting on the couch with several papers scattered across the coffee table before him. Isaac stood on the other side of the table, arms folded across his chest.

"Busy?"

"Chris gave me everything they have on the Grossman's techniques and hunts," Derek said. "It should help us prepare."

"Yeah well prepare faster because one of the creepy twins followed me home and we had a bit of a confrontation," Isaac said.

Derek looked up. "What? Does she know what you are? Did you reveal yourself?"

"No I'm not an idiot," Isaac said.

"Well your anger gets away from you sometimes," Derek said, getting to his feet.

"Not with you as my anchor," Isaac said, ducking his head. "I want to protect you. Us. Our pack. I can only do that if I keep my cool and make them look elsewhere."

Derek sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn't underestimate you. So what did you end up telling her?"

"I made it seem like I only knew about your previous arrests. It won't protect you but it'll make me look human. Same for the others. Now if they're here, it'll look like they're just here for me."

"Smart. Really smart. There's no way to make them see me as an innocent bystander though," Derek said. "Don't worry about it."

"How am I  _not_  supposed to worry about you?" Isaac asked. "And Lydia for that matter. If she keeps showing up every time there's a dead body, the hunters will start noticing."

"I know. But I'm not..." Derek looked away and sat back down. "I'm not an actual leader. I don't  _know_  how to see all the chess pieces and cover all our blind spots."

"You're an Alpha though," Isaac said with a frown.

"Yeah, because I killed my uncle," Derek said. "I don't  _actually_  know what I'm doing."

"That's bullshit," Isaac said, stepping over the table so he could sit next to Derek. "If that were true, we wouldn't have survived the Alpha Pack. If I'm being honest, the kanima was mostly taken care of because of Scott, but that's why you two lead together."  
Derek didn't look entirely convinced, so Isaac grabbed his chin and pressed their lips together. The Alpha went slack and leaned into him, hand coming up to rest against Isaac's neck before tugging Isaac completely onto his lap. Isaac could feel the tension bleeding back out of him the longer they kissed, and he hummed contentedly as their tongues slid and tasted one another.

"We should go to bed early," Derek murmured against his lips, securing an arm around Isaac's waist and then standing up.

Isaac wrapped his legs around Derek's hips, grinning. "Yeah? Why?"

"Because you have school and I'm your guardian," Derek said, carrying him over to the staircase. "And I'm going to be responsible."

"I don't know, I like it when you're irresponsible."

 

-.-

 

Lydia couldn't get warm, no matter how hard she tried. Isaac had driven her home, warmed her up with a tight hug and kiss but as soon as he was gone, her blood ran cold again and she couldn't stop shivering. Even in bed, bundled among five blankets, she couldn't make herself feel calm enough to actually stop shivering and sleep.

It just figured. Just as the nightmares of Peter started to recede she got attacked again. She wanted to shake it all off and move on and hated that it wasn't that easy. For a while, she stared down at her phone, part of her wanting to call Jackson, but she knew he wouldn't be able to help. He loved her, she knew that, and would fight to the ends of the earth for her and Isaac too, but she also knew that when it came to fear and dealing with it, he didn't exactly excel.

Of course there was Allison. Sweet Allison who wanted to teach her how to fend for herself. Lydia heaved a sigh and hit the speed dial for Allison's number.

"Lydia?"

"Hey," Lydia said, voice quiet and small.

"What happened?"

The protective note in Allison's words made a nervous laugh break free from Lydia's throat which turned into a strangled sob a minute later.

"Lydia, you're scaring me, what's wrong?"

"I got attacked," she said. "Again. In the woods by some stupid werewolf and I...god."

"Do you want me to come over? Are you okay? Did you kill it?"

"Derek and Isaac did," Lydia said after taking a deep breath to try and center herself even as tears began to run down her face again. "But Allison I can't do this. I can't keep getting attacked and getting away just in time. I can't...I don't want to be the damsel in distress anymore!"

"Lydia, you've never been a damsel in distress and you know it," Allison said.

"Yeah? You sure? Because I'm pretty sure I would be dead if I hadn't called Derek and Isaac to come save my pathetic self," Lydia spat, unable to help the anger she felt towards herself.

"Lydia, you're being ridiculous," Allison said. "Just...walk me through what happened okay?"

So Lydia did, every bit that she could remember. "What scares me the most though is that I don't know why this keeps happening to me. I don't know why I keep finding all these stupid dead bodies and I don't know why I can't remember driving there and it's scary okay?"

"Of course it is, and you have every right to be scared," Allison said. "Especially in this town. But it's going to be okay Lydia. You have us to protect you. And I mean that was pretty good thinking with the Taser."

"I want more than that. I want to...god help me for saying this but I want to be like you Allison. I want to be able to actually defend myself," Lydia said. "Sure I can't fit a crossbow in my purse but I have a car for a reason."

"Are you sure?" Allison asked.

"Yes I'm sure." The idea of being able to defend herself made the cold in her veins dissipate a bit and she smiled even though Allison couldn't see it. "Tomorrow? After school? I still have to go talk with Derek but I'm sure I can squeeze in a Guns 101 lesson."

Allison laughed. "Alright Lydia. If anyone can do it, it's you. And if you ever need anything else from me, you let me know, okay? We're best friends for a reason."

Lydia wrapped her blankets around her tighter. "Yeah, we are...night Allison."

"Night Lydia. Sleep well."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new pack finally reveals themselves, Stiles struggles with his anger, and Lydia takes another step in realizing who, and what, she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added another relationship tag to this story because it's something else I really wanted to develop and believe I can accomplish in this story. As always, comment and support are always greatly appreciated and you are all amazing. You can always follow my tumblr for updates and nerdy things I reblog. Enjoy the next chapter!

[My tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

"What can you tell us about Isaac?" Aspen asked.

Allison looked up from her lunch. "What do you mean?"

"We're researching everyone with any sort of connection to Derek Hale," Josh said as he took his seat across from her. "Isaac is obviously connected to him and we know you usually hang out with his crowd."

"Well he's perfectly normal," Allison said with a shrug. "Rough past with his dad and everything but it seems like Derek has stuck to the treaty we have for him not to turn anyone."

"He was a bit too defensive for my tastes last night," Aspen said, spearing a few cooked carrots on her fork.

"What do you mean last night?" Allison asked. "Did you go hunting without me?"

"Not hunting, just scouting," Aspen said. "Something about him and his friends is off. No offense intended of course, but perhaps it is better if you stop hanging out with them. We wouldn't want any mixed priorities in case they really are a threat."

"I wasn't aware you were in control of my life. You've been here two days and already decide my  _friends_  are a possible threat. I check in to everyone I associate myself with, so if you don't want to make our working relationship very difficult, I suggest you stop," Allison said.

"Can we just talk about something not related to hunting? I'm sure we've got something else in common," Logan said.

Allison gave him a quick smile and gave herself a mental high five when he flushed. There was a brief moment of guilt that she was going to prey on his innocent attraction but she clung to Lydia's words. These people wanted to kill her friends. Sacrifices had to be made to save them.

"Do either of you play lacrosse?" Allison asked. "I mean I don't but it's a pretty big thing here."

"Organized sports aren't really my thing," Logan admitted. "Josh is pretty competitive. He broke a guy's leg playing football at our old school."

"I did join the lacrosse team. The Coach is a total idiot but it'll give me something to do," Josh said.

Allison's eyebrows raised. "Try not to break anyone's legs, yeah? What about you then Logan?"

"Uh...sometimes I take pictures. I kinda like photography I guess," Logan said.

"He wants to be an  _artist_ ," Piper said, a mocking grin on her face. "Dream on art boy."

"Hey at least I don't sew dresses in my free time," Logan shot back.

"Sewing is a practical skill," Piper said. "When does taking pictures help in the real world?"

"It's good for stalking," Allison said. "If you do it right anyways." She tried to ignore the sinking cold feeling from the memories the words brought back. Paralyzed and scared, Matt above her ready to take her life. "I wouldn't recommend it though. Art is better than being a total creep."

"Yeah I'll stick to hipster photos of flowers, thanks," Logan said.

"It's a waste of time. We need to constantly be training," Aspen said.

"Seriously? It's impossible for you to get away from work, isn't it?" Logan asked.

The bell rang before Aspen could snap back at him and she and Piper left without another word, Josh close behind. Logan rubbed a hand over his eyes and offered Allison a strained smile.

"Sorry. My family is a bit...harsh," Logan said.

"No it's fine. But I wouldn't mind seeing some of your photography sometime, if you want," Allison said.

Logan brightened. "Really? How about after school today?"

"Yeah sure," Allison said with a smile.  _I am so going to Hell._

As Logan headed on his way, Allison glanced across the cafeteria and met Lydia's eyes as the red head rose to her feet. She seemed to be doing well despite her ordeal the night before, and despite what Lydia said, she couldn't see any bruises. Seeing the strength in Lydia's eyes, Allison got to her feet and followed after Logan. If Lydia could keep going, so could she.

 

-.-

 

Danny shrugged off his shirt and pulled his jersey out of his locker, but before he could put it on, Jackson slid up next to him and held his arms down.

"Can I help you?" Danny asked.

"Your chest is bruised, and your side," Jackson said. "What happened?"

Danny shoved him back. "Calm down, Jackson. Stiles and I were training with Deaton yesterday. Stiles got a bit clumsy with the staff."

"Wait, what? Training for what?"

Danny glanced around the locker room, waiting for it to empty before he spoke. "Well, you get fancy werewolf powers, I get trained by an emissary so I can protect myself."

Jackson didn't look any happier at the revelation. "What the hell is an emissary?"

"Isn't this sort of not the time for this conversation?" Danny asked.

Danny shook Jackson off when he tried to stop Danny from leaving the locker room. After they went through warm ups, which managed to help workout some of the soreness from the night before, Coach Finstock gathered them around at the center of the field.

"Alright team, we've got a new addition which means you, Bilinski, are back on the bench," Finstock said. "Your replacement is Josh Grossman, he's new so feel free to thrash him but he's supposedly good. So. Let's go!"

"Really, what the fuck?" Stiles groaned as he brushed passed Danny. "Finally make first line and then this."

"Hey with Deaton's training you can knock this Josh kid on his face in no time," Danny said, shaking the rungs of Stiles' helmet.

Stiles grinned at him. "Yeah, you're right. Just don't let him score, okay Danny?"

Danny did try, quite valiantly if he was being honest, but Josh did better than expected. Scott and Jackson still knocked him on his ass but not too often. Couldn't have the guy getting too suspicious after all, which begged the question of if he actually suspected anyone on the team was a werewolf.

By the end of practice, Josh had managed to score about half the shots he attempted. Danny knew he could've done better but it was hard to focus when he was so worried. He avoided Jackson pretty easily afterwards, given that Coach insisted Scott and Jackson go into his office for a 'super-top-secret-strategy-meeting'.

"So I'm starting to think maybe this extra training thing was a bad idea," Stiles said as they headed out to his Jeep.

"You're telling me," Danny said. "You warmed the bench most of the time. I spent my time trying not to take Josh's balls to my face."

"Oh? I thought you wouldn't mind that."

Danny punched Stiles in the shoulder before moving around to the passenger side.

"What would we tell the others?" Danny asked once Stiles started driving. "About this thing with Deaton."

"I mean if they ask we just tell them," Stiles said. "No reason to hide it right?"  
"They won't get...I don't know mad? Protective? I mean just from the bit I told Jackson he seemed weird about the idea," Danny said. "I mean we are doing this so we can be more effective in a fight. Better we just not tell them now, right?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

Stiles pulled into the parking lot at the vet's and he and Danny headed in. Deaton was nowhere to be seen so Danny headed for the staircase only to have Stiles tug him towards the back room. Before Danny could protest, Stiles slapped a hand over his mouth.

When they reached the examination room, the door was ajar. Danny was able to get a short look through the small window in the door before Stiles tugged him off to the side. Danny wanted to demand what he was doing but Stiles still hadn't removed his hand. For a moment, there was silence, and then Danny's ears caught the low murmur of voices. He leaned closer to the crack in the door and tugged Stiles' hand away.

"What? You don't just  _retire_." The voice belonged to a woman, low and a bit rough. "Emissaries don't get that luxury."

"Well I'm a special circumstance," Deaton said. "If you want an emissary, Marin Morrell is still active."

"We want you. You know the Hale Alpha best," the woman said.

"I won't betray him."

"You're an emissary with no pack to guide! You don't get to claim an alliance you do not wish to betray!"  
"You misunderstand me. I'm retired. I may ally myself with whom I chose. I'm a civilian," Deaton said. "Now leave. I was kind enough to allow you in this once. It won't happen again."

"Fine then. I'll find someone else that can help."

Stiles hit Danny in the chest and they both scrambled down the hallway as quickly as possible before hurling themselves into two chairs in the lobby. About two minutes later, Deaton emerged with a women in tow, and he opened the mountain ash infused door for her.

She was taller than the vet, red hair cut to follow her jawline. Her eyes were a bright blue that once they caught Danny's gaze, he found himself unable to look away. She looked him over once and then her gaze flicked to Stiles, nose wrinkling. Without another word, she left the clinic.

"So do you always have such scary customers?" Stiles asked, getting to his feet.

"I know you were listening in and so does she," Deaton said. "Also, given her reaction, I'd say she knows that you're in the Hale Pack."

"I'm not," Danny said.

"No, but Stiles must have started carrying their scent," Deaton said.

"Okay, that's not the important thing here," Stiles said. "Who was she?"

"Marisa Casia," Deaton said. "She's the Alpha of the Casia Pack, and she has an interest in Derek."

"Well that's obviously a bad thing, right? Lydia got attacked last night by a werewolf. She's still got a bruise on her face, so don't try and blow us off and let someone else get killed," Stiles said.

"She is probably behind it. I don't know her plan though. I'm sorry," Deaton said. "Just be glad I'm retired or I would have had to help her. The job of an emissary can get quite...messy."

"You could just be on the side of your friends," Stiles said. "It's not that hard."

"If you ever become an emissary-"

"I'll be one for the Hale Pack. Because they're my friends," Stiles said.

"He makes a compelling point," Danny said.

"I think this conversation is over. I've told you what I know. We must continue your training so maybe you can get out of this alive," Deaton said. "Have I made myself clear?"

Danny and Stiles stared at him and after a moment, Deaton sighed.

"Let's begin then."

Deaton worked them hard, running them through drill after drill of footwork and staff basics. The burn in his arms made Danny tremble with full body shakes, but he didn't let himself give up. He didn't want to give Deaton the pleasure of seeing him falter, but despite all his determination, Stiles seemed to have twice the amount. He wailed on the dummies Deaton provided for them, jaw set with a dark look in his eyes.

Danny guessed he'd never really  _noticed_  how much power Stiles actually hid under his baggy clothes. Coach did make them work out an obscene amount after all. Just when Danny thought Stiles was going to shatter the dummy, Deaton called them both to a halt.

"Okay, you both know basic blocks and attack. Let's try them against each other. Danny you'll attack and you Stiles, will  _only_  block," Deaton said, fixing them both with a hard look.

From the way Stiles' hands only tightened on the staff, Danny wasn't quite sure Stiles gave a shit what Deaton said. Danny lunged, throwing as much power into the first hit. Danny rocked with the motion and let the momentum carry him into the next move. It didn't take long for them to settle into a rhythm, and at first, Danny could still see the anger and hurt in Stiles' eyes. As they went on though, it faded away behind a look of exhaustion.

"That's enough. Cool down and head home," Deaton said.

Deaton headed for the staircase and as soon as the steel door slammed shut behind him, Stiles' staff clattered to the ground and he crumpled forward. Danny managed to keep Stiles from completely face planting on the ground and lowered them both to their knees. Stiles' arms hung limp at his sides and almost all his weight rested against Danny.

"So I guess the workout wore you out," Danny said after a tense moment.

"Anger wears me out." Stiles pushed himself up and away, arms still visibly shaking.

"Apparently. We should stretch before everything locks up okay?"

Danny rocked back onto his feet and pulled Stiles up after him. Stiles turned away from him and Danny took it as a dismissal and set about doing his own cool down. By the time they finished, Stiles looked like he was about to collapse again and maybe start crying. Part of him wanted to push but the other part was a bit too scared. Seeing Stiles so broken down made him seem vulnerable and human for the first time ever really. It was weird.

But Stiles wasn't talking. Danny followed him out of the clinic and to his ear. He was expecting Stiles to just hurry up and drive off, but Stiles just sat in the seat, key in the ignition but with a dazed look in his eyes. Danny sighed and shook Stiles' arm.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"We should go to Derek's. He needs to know about this Marisa chick," Stiles said, shaking off his stupor. "That cool?"

"Sure, whatever you want."

"Great, because I don't really want to think or talk about how angry I am," Stiles said. "No offense or anything, I'm sure you're a great guy and everything but now is not the time."

"Stiles. I said whatever you want. And I meant that," Danny said.

Stiles slammed his foot on the gas.

 

-.-

 

"There's too many scents. Derek should've had us do this last night," Erica said.

"You're not concentrating enough," Isaac said.

"Says the guy pressed to the ground," Erica shot back.

"Guys." Boyd gave them both a pointed look, arms folding over his chest. "I've already got a scent, if you want to follow me."

"How? How are you able to do that? Seriously, I envy you," Isaac said as he got to his feet.

"I actually concentrate," Boyd said.

"Cheeky aren't you?" Erica's voice was teasing and Boyd gave her a smile before he began to lead the way.

All three of them remained silent as they stalked through the trees. Derek had warned them repeatedly that all he wanted from them was to see if there really was another pack and where they were located. It was common sense, but Boyd was worried with Erica and Isaac around.

Isaac had gone from cocky to timid and back again over the summer, and Boyd knew he was mellowing out again but faced with another pack, he wasn't sure what to expect. Erica was obvious though. She was violently protective of those she loved and Boyd knew there was a good reason for it. She didn't have a real family to be protective about, a family that cared for her as deeply as they did, but still...he didn't want to have to restrain her for getting out of control.

"It's getting stronger," Erica murmured from behind him. "I can smell it now."

"We may have found the one pack that really does live in a cave. Cool," Isaac said.

"Yeah, amazing," Boyd said.

The tree line gave way to a sheer cliff face with a cave opening in it. They hadn't managed to take anyone by surprise though because at the mouth of the cave stood two werewolves. The first was a girl close to their age, almond shaped eyes that looked almost black until she stepped forward into the light of the setting sun. They flared a honey colored yellow and she smiled, fangs elongating.

The man behind her was tall with broad shoulders and a square jaw, blond hair cropped short in an army cut. Boyd was pretty proud of his muscles, but he felt dwarfed just looking at the other man even from a distance. The rational thing to do would probably be to run away, but Boyd had a feeling that Derek wouldn't want them to display such weakness.

"Don't mind Tobias there. He won't interfere," she said, pulling her short curly black hair back into a stub of a ponytail. "You three are my training session."

"What?" Boyd asked, one arm blocking Erica from lunging in half cocked.

"My sister is the Alpha. And once I kill Derek, I'll be an Alpha too," she said, stepping closer to him. "You didn't  _really_  think our pack would just live out in the open out here did you? God. I knew you were dumb but this is pathetic."

"How about you just tell us your name and we all walk away from an unnecessary fight," Boyd said.

"Fight? No one said anything about a fight, just training. For me. But I suppose it can't hurt you to know who I am," she said with a shrug. "Olivia Casia. It was a pleasure to meet you. I don't think you'll be walking away from this though."

Boyd removed his arm and Erica sprung forward. Olivia seized her by her hair and slammed her to the ground, but Erica had sunk her claws into her arm, dragging the other down with her. Isaac sprang in next, tugging Olivia off and tossing her into a tree. Olivia barely faltered, lunging back in and raking her claws towards Isaac's neck.

Boyd knocked into her at the last minute so her claws only clipped Isaac's shoulder. He managed to slam her into the ground if only because he was twice her size, but she snaked her head up to sink her teeth into his shoulder. Her wrist snapped and crunched under his hand but the pain didn't seem to bother her. She curled her feet up almost to her chest and then drove them into Boyd's stomach, shoving him back.

Olivia leapt to her feet, claws rising up to slash at Boyd's throat. Isaac's hand curled around hers and he yanked her back, his eyes full of hatred and anger when he wrapped his other hand around her throat, long fingers almost crushing her windpipe.

"I am not going to kill you. Go back to your sister and tell her to get out or you'll all end up like your last friend," Isaac said.

He tossed her to the ground and she coughed several times, shaking and shuddering on the ground. Boyd got to his feet, glaring at the wound that still hadn't healed on his shoulder.

"We aren't leaving. You're stuck with us until you're all dead," Olivia ground out, her jaw tight.

Erica lunged forward, but then Olivia rolled back and Tobias moved between them. One well placed kick in her stomach and she was knocked back into Isaac. By the time Boyd helped them up. Tobias and Olivia had vanished.

"Okay what the hell just happened?" Isaac asked. "Why the hell would they lure us here from where we killed their packmate?"

"Well it wasn't revenge," Erica said, stepping over to Boyd and checking his wound. "She didn't seem that bothered by it."

"We should get back to Derek," Boyd said. "Hanging around here and talking about it is just giving the hunters an easier time of finding us."

"Good point. Can I Just say one thing though?" Isaac asked as they began to walk. "If everyone in that pack is as strong as her, we're totally fucked."

Boyd wanted to disagree and pretend they wound be fine. They had taken on a pack of Alpha's after all. But the Alphas struggled with their own instincts against one another and were easy to get alone. An actual cohesive pack? Boyd wasn't sure they stood a chance.

 

-.-

 

"My God these are heavier than I thought," Lydia said, holding the bow out before her.

"Oh come on Lydia. I know you're stronger than that," Allison said from beside her. "Now just do what you did earlier, but better."

Lydia huffed before taking an arrow from Allison, notching it and then drawing back. Her shoulder and arm shook from the strength it required and she clenched her jaw tight, willing herself to hold it steady. She let it go, groaning when the arrow joined the rest she had shot in a clutter on the ground about five feet away.

"I think maybe we should stop," Allison said, taking the bow from her. "You're going to have to work on your shoulder and arm strength."

"Great." Lydia took a deep breath and then sighed. "I'm sorry Allison. I know you're trying to help but I'm starting to think I'm better off accepting my helplessness."

"Nonsense. You can do whatever you want. You've got too much determination not to," Allison said.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "You sure we're talking about the same person?"

"Positive."

Allison linked their arms together and led Lydia back into the house, bow slung over her shoulder with the quiver.

"So are you headed to Derek's now?" Allison asked. She led Lydia through the house and back down into the basement where they kept the weapons.

"Yup. We...we're going to try and figure out what I am," Lydia said. "Then maybe I'll stop finding all the dead bodies."  
Allison set the weapons back on the rack and then turned back to Lydia, grabbing Lydia's hands in her own. "You realize that no matter what you are you're still human right? Still you. Who cares if you can do some weird psychic stuff?"

"And if I transform into an ugly monster with crappy hair and fangs?" Lydia asked.

"You're my best friend. You'll still be beautiful to me," Allison said. Her hands moved up to cup Lydia's face and after a quick smile, she kissed Lydia's forehead.

"Okay  _Mom_ ," Lydia said.

Allison laughed and released her. "I'd go with you to Derek's but it'd be pretty hard to explain away why I was there if someone saw me. You'll call me if something goes wrong?"  
"No worries," Lydia said. "I'm getting pretty good at screaming for help."

Lydia pretended not to see the worried look in Allison's eyes and headed for her car. Nothing odd happened on the drive over and by the time she arrived the sun had finished setting. When she got out of her car, she sighed. Stiles' Jeep was already there, which probably meant she and Derek still wouldn't be able to have their talk. She headed inside to find Stiles and Danny sitting on the couch.

"Where's Derek?" Lydia asked.

"Out making sure Erica, Boyd, and Isaac aren't getting their little werewolf asses killed," Stiles said. "Come in and sit. We'll fill you in on what happened. It's a bit of a long story."

"Stiles and I met the new werewolf pack's Alpha at Deaton's," Danny said. "We told Derek she was the leader of the Casia Pack and he got all freaked out and said he had to find the others."

Lydia glanced over at Stiles. "Seems like a pretty short story."

"Yeah well Danny's a man of few words."

"What were you doing at Deaton's anyways?" Lydia asked. Both Danny and Stiles went completely still beside her and she raised her eyebrows, glancing between them. "Okay now I  _know_  you're hiding something."

"No we're not," Stiles said.

Lydia narrowed her eyes and stared at him. Stiles wiggled under her intense look and finally he slumped forward with a sigh.

"Okay, okay. Deaton's teaching us how to defend ourselves," Stiles said. "But don't tell anyone."

"Why not?" Lydia asked.

"Because," Danny said. "We don't want them getting mad at us and making us stop."

"Well your secret is safe with me," Lydia said.

The door banged open before anything else could be said and Derek walked in with his betas in tow. Isaac's shirt was shredded but his wounds were mostly healed, just thin lines on his chest. Boyd was in a similar state and Erica's arm curled protectively around her stomach.

"What happened?" Lydia asked.

"One of Casia's pack members almost destroyed us," Boyd said.

"And if her little body guard had really joined the fight we would be dead," Erica said, leaning heavily up against the doorframe.

"That sounds significantly not good," Stiles said. "How many people does this pack have?"  
"Last I knew, somewhere around twenty members," Derek said.

"So way more than the Alpha Pack," Stiles said. "Sounds great."

"And not to make it worse, but they'll work better together than those Alpha's did," Boyd said.

"I feel like this conversation is for the whole pack," Lydia said. "Just so everyone is on the same page. We need a strategy to deal with the hunters and the new pack too, and the more heads we have, the better."

"I am 100% behind that idea for what it's worth," Stiles said.

"Stiles, call Scott and Jackson. You three get cleaned up," Derek said, nodding at his betas.

Lydia followed after them as they headed upstairs, wanting to make sure they were okay. Rationally she knew they were fine, they could heal, but there was something that was in Erica's eyes that made her want to watch over them and make sure.

When she walked into Erica's room, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it. Erica tugged off her torn up shirt and then turned to face Lydia, an unreadable look in her eyes. Her stomach was one massive, misshapen bruise leading up to her chest and Lydia's eyes traced over the marks, the sunken part of her rib cage, and then up to Erica's face.

"This is what he did to me with one single kick," Erica said, voice cracking. "One! One hit and I was out. He could've killed me with another blow but he didn't and I don't know why."

"Erica-"

"I'm not strong. I'm not invincible. After everything I'm still some weak and scared little girl," Erica said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I told Derek you know? Back before the Alpha Pack showed up that I wanted to just be a teenager and I can't because this just keeps happening! And I mean I don't even really like you. We're friends or whatever but I don't want you to see me like this but I have no one else to tell that would understand!"

"It's okay Erica. Really," Lydia said, taking a step forward. "You're already healing."

"Yeah? And what about next time?"  
Erica's gaze was desperate when it met Lydia's, begging for comfort, for some sort of direction, and Lydia didn't know if she could give it. How could she? She wasn't any older than Erica. She couldn't fight. She wasn't a leader but that's what Erica needed; someone to lead her and she was looking to Lydia to hold her together.

 _Right. No pressure._  Lydia took a deep breath. "Erica, to be honest, I don't know. I do know I've seen you face down an Alpha before and almost win so that's got to count for something."

Erica swiped at her eyes to stop her tears before they could fall. "Okay, point taken."

"And I mean, we can't exactly run away from this, believe me I've tried," Lydia said. "So we just have to believe we're not about to die. Derek and Scott will think of something. They're Alphas for a reason."

"You're really bad at this comforting thing but thanks for trying anyways," Erica said. "And putting up with my short...breakdown...thing."

"It's not putting up with you," Lydia said. "It's never like that. And hey, look."

Lydia gestured down to Erica's stomach, which had completely healed over like there hadn't been severe internal damage ten minutes ago. Erica's fingers poked at the smooth and undamaged skin.

"Still surprises me sometimes," Erica said quietly. "How easily we bounce back."

"I am eternally jealous," Lydia said, moving over to Erica's dresser and pulling out a shirt. "Now get dressed into something not covered in mud. I'll meet you back downstairs."

Lydia left, nearly smacking into Boyd and Isaac when she shut Erica's door.

"She okay?" Boyd asked.

"Yes, she's fine," Lydia said. She put a hand on both their chests and pushed them back. "Now, downstairs. Go."

When they got back downstairs, Derek had drawn the blinds to keep out any potential prying eyes. Danny slid over closer to Stiles to let Boyd and Isaac squeeze on and Lydia took a seat on Boyd's lap before lacing her fingers with his when he wrapped his arms around her. Erica emerged a moment later in sweats and a t-shirt, arms still wrapped tight around her middle. She clambered up onto Isaac's lap and then snuck one of her hands between Boyd and Lydia's.

The door opened and Jackson and Scott came through, obviously preferring the running method of travel from the way they were panting. Scott offered them all a wave and half-hearted smile before sitting by Stiles. Jackson took his own seat at Danny's feet.

"So why exactly are we here? I thought we were supposed to be avoiding this place," Jackson said.

"Well this takes precedent," Derek said. "There's a pack in town, led by Marisa Casia. We know they want to kill me, and based on past trends, they'll try and convince as many of you as they can to join their pack."

"Not likely," Boyd said. "They can't think we'd agree to that."

"Derek's not exactly Alpha of the year, it wouldn't be that surprising," Jackson said.

Scott smacked the back of his head and Jackson snapped his head around, a growl halfway out of his throat until Lydia kicked his side.

"As right as you are, Scott and I are your best chance of survival," Derek said. "I do have a lot of information on the Casia Pack though. They almost had a turf war with us before the fire. They'll probably be doing what they can to establish themselves as important members of society and turn us into pariahs."

"Well that certainly makes things easier," Lydia said. "If they're out in the open, we'll be able to talk with them more."

"Oh great. When they try and kill us we can just talk to them and our soothing voices will make them back off," Stiles said, the words dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't be so dense. We can manipulate them," Lydia said, dislodging herself from Boyd and Erica's grasp and getting to her feet. "Look, Allison is our in to the Grossmans right? Our double agent. If this Casia Pack puts people in prominent positions around town, it'll be easy for us to work our way in."

"Not a bad idea," Derek said. He sounded too surprised for Lydia's approval and she glared at him for a moment.

"There's no way they'd fall for us ditching out though," Erica said. "At least not now. I think we learned from the first time."

Isaac winced and ducked his head, tugging Erica even closer.

"Okay, but we have someone who does look like he's ready to leave," Scott said.

Lydia and Derek both looked down at Jackson. After a moment, Jackson sighed and rolled his eyes.

"So I get to be the schmoozer, great," Jackson said.

"You'll have to be convincing," Derek said. "Feed them enough true information about us that they don't suspect you but still be around us enough that we can keep you safe."

"Sounds easy enough," Jackson said.

"Is it worth it though?" Scott asked. "I mean they already have the advantage of numbers."

"Not necessarily," Danny said. "I mean, Stiles told me there's usually humans in a pack. They won't be as much of a threat, will they?"  
"We can't know for sure without someone inside," Derek said.

"And we all know Deaton's making himself as useless as possible or he'd be a possible alternative," Stiles said.

"Okay so for now, Jackson, we'll find you a target and all you have to do is make them your friend," Lydia said. "And then join their pack."

"Olivia looked about our age," Isaac said. "They might enroll her in school."

"We'll make her our target unless we find someone better. Do we know if they know about the hunters?" Derek asked.

"No clue," Stiles said.

"Look, we have enough to go on for now," Scott said. "Actually, it's all we've got to go on. Josh is on the lacrosse team now too, so we'll have to be more careful but we can also use the chance to throw him off our trail if they start to suspect us."

"So we're just dealing with two really powerful groups that want us dead or gone. No pressure there, yeah?" Boyd asked.

"Two groups that will hate each other as much as they hate us," Lydia said. "If we play our cards right-"

"We can play them off against each other," Derek said. "Hopefully. For now...everyone stay safe. Be careful, don't go anywhere alone."

Derek dismissed them and then headed for the kitchen, leaving the others to sort themselves out. Erica wordlessly grabbed Isaac's hand and tugged him upstairs, and Boyd left with Stiles and Danny. Jackson offered to ride with her home, but Lydia just gave him a kiss and told him to go home. Scott offered a smile and hug and left with Jackson, leaving Lydia alone to try and convince Derek to spend a few more hours to go through Peter's laptop.

When she went to the kitchen, she paused at the doorway to watch Derek. The Alpha was pacing back and forth by the counter, occasionally running a hand through his hair. She could read his body language a lot easier than she did at the beginning of the summer. Now, with summer passed and half the fall semester over...she sort of felt like she could read him like an open book. It was almost worse that way though, because she see how worried and tense he was but there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"I don't want to make your night any worse but could we maybe...go through Peter's laptop?" she asked after a moment.

Derek looked up, blinking a few times before his eyes focused. "Right. Yeah. If you want."

Lydia rapped her knuckles against the doorframe. "Try to keep down the enthusiasm there, Derek."

"Sorry. Lot on my plate. Look, do we have to do this now?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think we do," Lydia said. "Better that I don't end up in the woods by some dead body again. Or at least if I do, I want to be aware of what the hell I keep doing it for."

"I just..." Derek shrugged. "It doesn't seem like the biggest priority to me right now."

"Derek, I'm your packmate, aren't I? That should put me pretty high on the priority list," Lydia said.

"You're more than that Lydia," Derek said, rounding the island counter to stand in front of her. "You're a leader. You plot and devise when I can't. I guess it is in our best interest to make sure you're safe."

"You  _guess_?" Lydia asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

Derek blew out a frustrated sigh. "I mean it is in our best interest. Completely. I'm sorry for trying to blow you off."

"You know you're getting a lot better at this talking about your emotions thing," Lydia said, standing up on her tiptoes to pat Derek on the top of his head, grinning a bit at his resulting impatient look. "Stiles would be proud."

"Screw what Stiles thinks," Derek said, knocking her hand away before brushing passed her and heading into the living room. "Where do you want to do this?"

"Here is good," Lydia said as she followed after him.

She grabbed her backpack from the coffee table and tugged out Peter's laptop before taking a seat beside Derek on the couch. As she booted it up and typed in Peter's ridiculous password, Derek shifted closer and then dropped his arm around her shoulders, tugging her close. She went still for a moment, surprised by the action.

The rest of the pack didn't mind expressing their affection towards her, both for her comfort and their own, but Derek had only ever given her a hug or two. Having his arm around, while nice, was still unexpected and a bit odd. She settled into it and didn't say a word, instead just opening up the Finder box on the Mac.

"So what would he label his bestiary as?" Lydia asked. "He seems like the type to have stupid names for things."

"Just type bestiary. It should show it," Derek said.

She typed it in and only one document popped up.

"Book of Fluffy Creatures? Really?" Lydia asked. "Seriously, what is  _with_  this guy?"

"If I knew our lives would be a lot easier," Derek said. "Unfortunately, my knowledge on my uncle is about as scarce as my knowledge on how to be an actual Alpha. Sorry."

"Don't be an idiot," Lydia said, digging her elbow into Derek's side. "You're doing fine."

"You're the one that came up with most of the plan. But I guess that makes sense. You've established yourself as the Alpha Female after all," Derek said.

"Yeah you really need to tell me what that means later," Lydia said as Peter's bestiary opened up. "Thank God Peter's is in English. I wasn't really in the mood to read archaic Latin."

"It's actually our families," Derek said. "Peter just has the last record of it."

"Then I'll just email this to myself in case he decides to show up at my house and steal back his laptop," Lydia said.

Derek went stiff as a board beside her, hand clenching against her shoulder. "If he does show up again, let me know."

"What, you're back to being enemies again?"

"Well he did vanish," Derek said. "And just because we were working together doesn't mean I actually like him. He manipulated you and killed my sister. In fact, I'd say I hate him a lot. I just...did the only thing I could think of to do. Just add it to my list of mistakes."

"He's not here now, so it's not  _that_  big of a mistake," Lydia said. "So. First on the list. Abada. Looks like a unicorn, so definitely not me. Unless there are shape-shifter unicorns." She tilted her head to look at him, smiling a bit when she saw a slight upturn of his lips.

"No, I don't think so," Derek said. "Here, scroll down. I know he's got the humanoid ones organized together further down. I saw them when we were looking for information on the Kanima."

Lydia scrolled down, eyes narrowing in on the first one she saw. "Changeling. Hey, that seems like a possibility."

Derek set his chin on her shoulder to get closer to the screen and then shook his head. "No, it says Changelings are entirely self-aware. You'd know. Keep going."

They worked their way through half the list of humanoid creatures before Lydia's eyelids grew too heavy to really keep reading. It was all unnerving, reading through the list and looking at pictures and trying to line up what little they knew about her with the paragraphs of information. In the end, she took down four names of those most similar and then shut the laptop, not wanting to think about it anymore.

"We can test those four tomorrow if you want," Derek said. "They all have weaknesses. We can see how you react to them."

"God this sucks," Lydia said with a heavy sigh, throwing her head back onto Derek's shoulder. "I'm some inhuman freak that needs to be tested."

"Not a freak," Derek said. "We've been over this. You're scared, I'm scared. But we'll figure it out and no matter what you are you're still important to the pack and to me."

"That's about what Allison said," Lydia said. She let her head fall to Derek's chest, eyes closing when his hand slid up to slide through his hair and rub at the back of her neck. "And hey, before I leave, explain this Alpha Female business to me."

"It just means that you're the most dominant female. You naturally gravitate towards a position of power in the pack," Derek said. "It's why Erica got so mad before. It's always uncomfortable when new pack dynamics are trying to be sorted out. When my aunt first came to live with our pack, she and my dad almost got in a fight over who ruled beside my mom."  
"So if your aunt had won you would've had two Alpha Females?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah," Derek said. "The Alpha is the leader that makes the hard calls and gives the orders, but the Alpha Female wields just as much power in the pack, even if they aren't physically an Alpha. The Alpha is stronger with her, or him in my dad's case, and the Alpha Female is usually able to diffuse any infighting with the pack as well."

"Huh, so you do know a lot about this pack stuff," Lydia said, sitting up.

"I guess yeah. No one really asks me questions though so I mostly just let you guys work it out for yourself," Derek said.

"Is there anything specific I should be doing?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it," Derek said with a shrug. "Just do whatever feels natural. That's probably right."

Lydia shrugged back at him. "Okay. Works for me. Does this mean we have to get married?"

Derek snorted. "No. Scott and I aren't."

"Scott's not an Alpha Female though. He's some weird Alpha-Beta thing," Lydia said. "Which you guys never really did explain that to us. Shouldn't I be feeling threatened by Scott?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," Derek said. "What happened with Scott...I don't know. From what I can tell nothing has changed. We just have...three Alphas in our pack."

"Hey but we work a lot better together than the Alpha Pack," Lydia said. She stood up and shoved Peter's laptop back into her bag.

"That's true," Derek said. "Maybe it'll give us an advantage, even though you aren't an actual werewolf. Maybe that's why you and Scott don't feel any hostility towards each other. You fill the role but you're not a werewolf."

"How about we just agree that our pack is special and doesn't fit any titles or roles?" Lydia shouldered her bag. "To be honest, I've never been a fan of being labeled as anything. So. Let's just be us."

"Sounds good to me," Derek said. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

"No, I'll be fine," Lydia said. "And just a suggestion, you should go take care of Erica and Isaac. She seemed really shaken up. I think a couple backrubs would make her feel better."

Derek nodded. "I can do that. Take care, Lydia."

"Always."

Lydia headed out to her car and for a moment, just sat in the front seat and thought. The scientist side of her brain didn't like the idea that she didn't understand all the details of the complexities of the way the pack worked, but she knew she'd only hurt the pack if she tried to dissect how they all interacted with one another. It was best to just do as Derek said and let everything fall into the place the way it wanted to.

She loved everyone in her pack. That was what mattered in the end. All she had to do was lead them as well as Derek and Scott and maybe they could stand a chance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson integrates himself into the new pack, the hunters make their move, and Lydia finally loses control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I really needed a break from these characters cuz they were annoying me but I'm back to loving them again. There's no way I'm finishing this by the end of November unfortunately. 
> 
> Second: Things are getting very far from canon right now. I'm expanding on a lot of things and writing in lore/legend as I see fit as Jeff Davis has given us very little information on Banshees/Hunter-culture so feel free to critique it and let me know if something seems off/doesn't sound right to you. 
> 
> That's it! Enjoy the next chapter! These are getting quite long aren't they?

Before everything with the bite, Jackson would have no problem with smooth talking his way into the Casia Pack. His reputation would have been able to carry him the way it had when he'd first set his eyes on Lydia. But now after nearly dying and the whole being controlled by a psychopath, people weren't overly keen on hanging out with him.

Not that he really gave a shit what everyone else said now that he had Lydia and Isaac and he supposed in a weird way Scott. Admitting that, even to himself, was something he considered an accomplishment, but it was a bad time to be experiencing personal growth.

Locating Olivia wasn't difficult. She sat at a lunch table entirely alone but instead of appearing sullen and nervous by the fact, she managed to turn the plastic chair she sat in into a throne. Jackson didn't spare a glance to his pack as he walked over to her table and he sat down across from her with his back to the others. She leaned back, her lips quirking up into a grin when their eyes met.

"Well this is a surprise."

"If you knew them, it really isn't," Jackson said. "So. Cafeteria food here better or worse?"

"I know that's not why you're here," Olivia said. "If you're extending a hand of friendship, I'm not interested. Especially since those glares your pack are giving me kind of turn it into a moot point."

"Well they're not my pack so don't worry too much," Jackson said.

"Uh huh, and why exactly don't I believe you?" Olivia asked, popping a potato chip in her mouth and crunching down on it.

Jackson didn't let his smile falter. "Is it the rumor mill? I won't lie, some of it  _is_  accurate."

"So they aren't your pack but you're still chasing after that Lydia girl like a lost puppy?" Olivia asked. "The way people talk about it makes you sound quite pathetic. I'm embarrassed for you."

"Ha, cute," Jackson said, eyes narrowing. "It's a matter of survival. I don't really owe them my loyalty. I've been spending weeks trying to convince them otherwise obviously."

"Really? Why? If you're so competent, why do you need them?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Jackson asked. "That was rhetorical, I don't actually care what you think."

"Charming. You're doing a great job of winning me over," Olivia said, slouching in her chair as she began to spin her spoon against the tray.

"Would you rather I lie to you?"

"I'd be able to tell," Olivia said.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not trying to  _win_  you over. I don't want your friendship, I just want your protection. You guys stand a better chance against the hunters than they do."

Olivia went still, spoon dropping onto the tray. "What?"

"Are you serious?" Jackson gave short huff of a laugh, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair. "You guys came all the way here and didn't even look into it?"

"We're aware of the Argents, but they aren't a threat," Olivia said. "There's only two of them. They can't have you running scared unless you're even weaker than I thought."

"Not the Argents," Jackson said.

"Tell me now," Olivia ordered, her jaw tightening.

Jackson smirked. She'd lost her cool. This he could deal with. "Guarantee my safety and let me join your pack and I'll tell you what I know."

"Fine! Deal, now talk," Olivia said.

The bell rang and Jackson got to his feet. "Wait for me after school. And watch your step. The new hunters are good."

Olivia looked like she was two seconds away from ripping his face off but instead she just glared at him. He ignored Lydia and the others, hating the twinge in his chest at the action. It made his gut twist to know that his packmates had wormed their way so deeply in his mind that he felt physical pain by denying them.

But Jackson was used to ignoring things like that. It was just now he could comfort himself knowing it was only temporary. At least he hoped so. He couldn't go back to being alone.

 

-.-

 

Allison hurried down the steps to her car, trying not to appear too worried as she typed out a text to Scott and Lydia to inform them of the Grossman's plan. They had accosted her after her last class, saying they expected her and her father at their place two hours before sunset for a pre full moon hunt.

"Allison! Would you slow down? I may be fast in heels but  _seriously_."

Allison slowed down and shoved her phone in her pocket as Lydia came up beside her. "Sorry, I just really need to get home."

"And I need a ride because I'm pretending to be angry at Jackson," Lydia said. "Plus, you need to be filled in on what happened last night."

"Did you get attacked?" Allison asked, stopping to check Lydia over.

"No, I'm fine, and we should probably have this conversation where we can't be overheard," Lydia said. "So. You. Me. Your car. Driving."

"I don't need to be given orders like that. I'm not Jackson," Allison said, keeping her tone light.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him. He's doing better," Lydia said.

Allison unlocked her car when they reached it and Lydia tossed her bags in the back before getting in the passenger seat. Once they were halfway to Lydia's house, Lydia began to talk.

"We've figured out who's doing the werewolf kills," Lydia said. "They're called the Casia Pack. Jackson's going to join them so we can figure out what they're planning. He's going with Olivia right now."

"Olivia? She was the new girl in my math class," Allison said. "Figures she'd be a werewolf. They have a special breed of confidence."

Lydia didn't say anything and after a moment, Allison looked over to see Lydia fixing her with a hard stare. "Really now? That doesn't sound much like you."

"What? They are different, Lydia," Allison said. "I mean look at Erica. She got bit and suddenly became Miss Bombshell."

"That was all bravado and you know it. Try not to take this getting close to the Grossmans assignment too seriously," Lydia said, voice biting.

Allison bit her lip to stop herself from snapping back and after a tense moment, she sighed. "Sorry. I guess they might be rubbing off a bit too much on me. I didn't even notice."

"Whatever, it's not important. Why exactly are you rushing home anyways?" Lydia asked, pulling out her phone.

"I just texted you with the information. They're going hunting tonight. They said the best time to go is the night before the full moon, because werewolf packs usually only expect action the night of."

"Stop the car," Lydia said, not looking up from her phone.

"What?"

"I said stop the car."

Allison pulled off to the side and threw it into park. "What? What is it?"

"Jackson just texted me. Olivia wants him to go running with them tonight," Lydia said. "He agreed, obviously, but should we have him warn them about the hunters? It would help secure his spot with the pack."

"No, no, this is the perfect opportunity to take as many of the Casia Pack out as we can," Allison said.

"Oh yeah, great idea, let's just let Jackson get himself killed while we're at it," Lydia said with an eye roll.

"Just tell him to run when we attack," Allison said. "He'll be fine."

Lydia stared at her for a moment, her gaze uncertain. "Okay fine. We go with your plan on one condition. I go hunting with you."

"Absolutely not," Allison said. "We're fighting werewolves Lydia. You almost  _died_  two nights ago. I'd be insane to let you go out with us."

"Well it's a good thing you don't get to  _let_  me do anything. Either I go with you or Jackson warns the pack and they don't go out."

Allison wanted to shake Lydia until she regained even a sliver of common sense, make her see that Allison was only trying to protect her. But she also knew better than to argue once Lydia set her mind to something.

"Why do you want to go so bad?" Allison asked.

"Because. I'm the one that ordered Jackson to work his way into the pack. Whatever happens to him tonight is on my shoulders and I am not about to let this situation get out of my control," Lydia said.

Allison took a deep breath and then nodded. "Okay. I understand. Just...I hate seeing you become like this."

She looked down, picking at a stray thread on the sleeve of her shirt. Lydia grabbed her hands and pulled them towards her, making Allison look back up.

"Like what?" Lydia asked softly. She rested her chin on top of Allison's knuckles.

"Like me. You're taking the whole weight of everyone's lives on your shoulders and I know how hard that is," Allison said. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Then it's a good thing I've got you by my side." Lydia kissed the back of her hands and then released her. "Now I think maybe we should head to your place so I can argue with your father about how I'm definitely coming with you."

When they reached Allison's, they headed for the basement where they kept the weapons. Allison knew that even after Chris talked to Lydia, she would still be coming so she had three hours to teach her as much as she could. She pulled out a few different items and laid them out on the worktable before looking at Lydia, who had set her bag aside.

"Okay, one question before we go further," Allison said. "How do we explain why you're coming along?"

Lydia shrugged. "Tell them I got attacked by one of the Alpha Pack members and you saved me. It's not like they can prove otherwise."

"You really think of everything," Allison said. "Well. This is a sonic emitter. It's like a dog whistle that never stops and it really annoys werewolves."

She handed the slim silver rod over to Lydia and the red head examined it carefully. "And how exactly will this help?"

"It'll startle them enough for you to get away hopefully," Allison said. She took the emitter away and replaced it with something much larger.

"A cattle prod?" Lydia asked, eyebrows raising.

"Really effective. It forces them to turn back if they've transformed and does a good job of keeping them down for a little while," Allison said. "It can save you in a pinch but I'd much prefer you just run away."

"If Jackson is safe, believe me I will have  _no_  problem running," Lydia said.

"Speaking of, we need to get you something other than heels and a skirt," Allison said.

"Well sorry, I didn't know I was going to be saving my boyfriend's life tonight," Lydia said.

Allison rolled her eyes. "I'll find something for you to wear. You can go talk to my dad. I just heard him pull in."

"Good. He won't know what hit him." Lydia turned on her heel and headed back up the stairs.

 

-.-

 

Jackson pulled up to a small house, shooting Olivia a quick glance. "You live here?"

"Yeah, why? Not live up to your expectations?" Olivia asked. Her expression said she was just waiting for an excuse to hit him.

"Just. I expected more. You're an established pack, you've gotta have more money than what this costs." The house was small and square-ish with the paint peeling off. Olivia seemed too proud to just live below her means without complaint. "But I mean, whatever floats your boat."

"Anyone ever tell you you're charming?" Olivia asked.

Jackson pulled his keys out of the ignition and smiled at her. "All the time."

"Well they're lying. And besides, this is just temporary housing. We'll buy up the Hale House once we finish wiping out your old pack," Olivia said with a shrug.

"And your sister is cool with me running with you guys tonight right? I don't want to get my head ripped off when I walk in," Jackson said.

"As long as you tell us what you know about the hunters, everyone is happy," Olivia said before opening the car door and stepping out.

"What about the Hale Pack?" Jackson asked. He followed her up to the door, leaning against the doorframe as she pulled out her keys. "I mean, I can give you info on them too."

"Aw look at you. So eager to make yourself useful." Olivia patted his cheek and then opened the door. "I keep waiting for you to get less pathetic and you just keep disappointing me."

"So you  _don't_  want to know more about the Hale Pack? That seems like a tactical error," Jackson said. "I might hate them but they did take out an Alpha Pack."

He set his bag on the small couch and when he looked up, Olivia was hovering at the archway between the living room and kitchen. Beside her stood a taller woman dressed in a business suit, every cut of the fabric as angular and sharp as her jaw and cheekbones. Her hair was a deep red that followed the line of her jaw and the look in her eyes reminded Jackson of the one time he'd met Allison's mother.

"We have a better source on the Hale Pack than you," the woman said. "But we'll take what you know on the hunters."

"I'm  _in_  the Hale Pack. Who do you have that knows more about them than me?" Jackson asked.

"Olivia, go do your schoolwork. I think Jackson and I need to have a chat."

Olivia shrugged and disappeared through the kitchen. The woman crossed the space between them and then shoved him back onto the couch. Jackson sat without protest.

"As I'm sure your old packmates have told you, I am Marisa Casia," she said, folding her arms across her chest and fixing him with a hard stare. "You might have information on these hunters we were unaware of but you are still beneath us. Prove yourself and you might garner some of our respect. We'll even let you live after we kill the others. So start talking."

Jackson had to clamp down his urge to laugh in her face. For a while, he'd been worried that the Casia Alpha was going to scare him and he would spill more information than he should. But looking up at her now, the fear left. For once, he was the one in power.

Derek had what he wanted before, the ability to put Scott and Jackson back up on a level playing field. Matt had used his manifested weakness to turn him into a killer, his  _Fury_. And after, there had been Gerard, a bitter old man using him to manipulate Scott into getting what he wanted. Even Lydia, with her love and the literal key to his heart, had exercised her power over him, making him become human once more. His humanity, his own  _identity_  had always been controlled by someone else. But not this time. For the first time in a long time, Jackson was on top.

"How about you guarantee my safety and then I tell you what I want?" Jackson asked.

"I could just kill you now and figure out the rest on my own," Marisa said.

"If that were true, I'd be dead by now. I've got something you want and I'm going to milk it for all it's worth," Jackson said. "My father's a lawyer. The bargaining skill is hereditary."

"Fine, your safety is guaranteed," Marisa said.

"I want it in writing and signed," Jackson said.

"This is ridiculous!"

"I can just leave."

If looks could kill, Jackson was pretty sure he'd be dead a few times over but he didn't let it rattle him. He knew how good at running he was so he wasn't too worried about Marisa turning on him.

"I'll draft something up. You stay here," Marisa ordered.

Jackson slouched in the couch, letting the tension leave his body. Things were going his way. Marisa seemed, in the end, to be as simplistic and driven in her desires as Gerard had been, though she seemed a bit more tolerant when it came to dealing with childish behavior. Of course she was also about ten times more dangerous.

Before she returned, the front door opened and a man stepped through, freezing when he saw Jackson. He matched Isaac's description of the man who'd been guarding Olivia the night before and Jackson quickly clamped down on the urge to attack him.

"Why are you here?" Tobias asked, shutting the front door and locking it.

"Whoa big guy I'm on your side," Jackson said. "So put the fangs away. We're all civilized here."

"Tobias, it's fine," Marisa said as she re-entered the room.

"Do not trust him. He is a snake," Tobias said. His fists clenched but then he looked away and after giving Marisa a quick nod he vanished down the hallway.

Jackson shrugged. "In his defense, he is kind of right. I was a snake for awhile though I suppose more literally it was a lizard but I never was good at biology."

"We know you were a Kanima and it's nothing to be proud of," Marisa said. She shoved a piece of paper towards him with a pen. "Now sign and then talk."

Jackson glanced over the paper and then signed it before setting it on the coffee table. "There's a new family of hunters in town, the Grossmans. They're pretty ruthless, but Derek's pack has a way to keep tabs on them."

"The Argent girl," Marisa said, a smirk toying at the edge of her lips. "We need to find a way to get to her."

"Remember the bit when I said I'm  _in_  the Hale Pack? Even if I'm talking to you, they're too wishy washy to kick me out," Jackson said. "I'd say your best bet is to just wait for someone else to make the first move."

"Oddly enough, you're not the Alpha. You don't get to make that call. You're here because Olivia thinks you're useful and I trust her judgment. Know your place when you run with us because we will show it to you if you forget," Marisa said. "We have a few hours before we run. Try not to ruin your standing with us in that time."

Jackson grabbed the contract off the table and shoved it into his pocket. "Yeah, sure."

 

-.-

 

"I'm genuinely impressed you didn't rip Deaton's face off," Danny said as he followed Stiles out to his car.

"I'm just sick of his very not helpful self lecturing me," Stiles said. "Am I taking you home tonight?"

Danny shuffled awkwardly outside the passenger side door. "Actually, could I stay with you for a little while? I just got a text from Jackson and stewing and worrying about him on my own seems really unenjoyable."

"Yeah it's all good," Stiles said. He was a bit surprised Danny actually opened up as much as he did. There was no way he was going to turn him down. "What did the text say?"

"He's going running with the new pack tonight even though the hunters are out tonight. He said the Argents have a plan, I just don't want him to get hurt," Danny said.

"Well there's nothing we can do without blowing his cover," Stiles said. He started the car after Danny got in and buckled himself up. "As annoying and frustrating as it is. At least we know they'll be safe tomorrow."

"The full moon's tomorrow," Danny said. "How the hell will they be safe?"

"Scott said the plan is to stay in," Stiles said. "We'll be hanging out if you want to join us."

"Not really interested in a three-way Stiles."

"Hey! That was one time and I didn't even actually get laid," Stiles protested. "Seriously, we just had mutual hand jobs."

Danny snorted. "That's not what it looked like last full moon."

"We only cuddled! Scott is like a cuddly puppy!" Stiles shook his head. "Nothing happened, really."

"You are the only person I know who would actually  _deny_  banging Scott McCall," Danny said.

"We didn't bang!" Stiles insisted. "I would totally brag about it if we did, especially to you. It'd be my proof that I'm actually very attractive and your denial is just an outlier."

"How do you know I'm denying it?"

Stiles glanced over at him, eyes narrowing. "You never answer the question when I ask."

"One day I will."

"Being a tease is wounding my poor sensitive heart, Danny," Stiles said.

When they got home, Stiles groaned, slumping back in his chair. "You said the hunters are going to be out right? And the werewolves."

"Uh yeah?"

"Well so is my dad. His patrol car is gone," Stiles said. He stared at the empty space in the driveway a moment longer before throwing open his door and climbing out. "I guess we really do get to worry together. We'll have a Worry Party."

Danny followed Stiles up the path to his door. Stiles fumbled with his keys, trying to stop his shaking long enough to unlock the door, but in the end he ended up leaning up against it, taking deep gulping breaths. There was just too much happening at once. Enemies were closing in on both sides and his dad was naïve and vulnerable and almost guaranteed to get caught in the crossfire.

The keys were tugged out of his hands and then Danny unlocked the door for him. He shoved Stiles in before him and Stiles went to sit on the couch while Danny relocked the door. The bit of panic in his chest was already receding and by the time Danny shoved a glass of water into his hands, his mind was a lot clearer.

"Got a bit panicky there," Danny said, sitting on the edge of the coffee table so their knees were brushing against one another. "Then you kinda zoned out. Feeling better?"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. It just kind of..." Stiles took a deep breath. "Hit me all at once."

"Well get it together because at least one of us has to be sane," Danny said.

"I officially pass that duty on to you my friend," Stiles said, patting Danny's knee.

"So what do we do now?" Danny asked.

"Usually I'm in the thick of it," Stiles said. "This is actually the first time I'm not risking my life when something big is happening."

"I'm hungry so we should make food. Then go from there."

"Sounds like a plan. Danny the plan man," stiles said, getting to his feet and following Danny to the kitchen.

"Never call me that again, seriously," Danny said.

 

-.-

 

"I just want to express my extreme displeasure with you being here one more time," Chris said as they pulled into the Grossman's driveway.

"And I still don't care," Lydia said. She hopped out of the back seat and looped her arm through Allison's as they headed up to the front door.

"You know, even though I don't want you to be out here, I have to admit you look good as a hunter," Allison said.

Lydia smiled at her. "Of course I do. Though I wouldn't mind if you guys wore a little less black."

"You look good in black though," Allison said.

"Is there a reason for all this flattery?"

Before Allison could answer, the door opened.

"Hey, come on in," Logan said. He frowned when his eyes met Lydia's. "What's she doing here?"

"We'll explain," Chris said, shoving Logan aside and stepping inside. "Where is everyone?"

"Uh, they're in the basement," Logan said, shutting the door after them.

"You hunters really have a thing for secretive basements of doom," Lydia said.

Logan gave her an odd look and then led them downstairs. There was a map of Beacon Hills spread out over a heavy-looking oak table. Aspen was standing between who Lydia assumed was her father Sean, and Josh. Piper and two older women were examining weapons along the wall, and Lydia was surprised to see that their collection was even more extensive than the Argents.

Aspen looked up as they descended, eyes narrowing. "Why is she here?"

"She's our hunter in training," Chris said, setting a heavy hand on Lydia's shoulder. "She had a run in with an Alpha."

"Allison saved me. And then I decided, hey, why not hop on the bandwagon?" Lydia gave them all a smile, which seemed to charm everyone but Josh.

"We can't afford a newbie out there," Josh said. "I don't want to have to look after her."

"Josh!" One of the women stepped forward and shoved Josh back towards the wall of weapons. "I apologize for my son. He doesn't really have a filter between his brain and mouth."

"I'll just have to prove him wrong," Lydia said. "Now is someone going to introduce me properly?"

"Introductions can wait. We have to plan and we need the Argents' knowledge on the area," Aspen said.

"Loosen up. Introductions don't take that long," Allison said. "That's Sean, Josh's mom Sara, and Sean's wife Lisa. See? Done."

Aspen just looked back down at the map. "So we've noted where the Hale House is. We'll need any information you have on where they normally run."

"Derek doesn't run often, if ever," Allison said. "If we hunt tonight, hunting for a single werewolf is pointless. I think the werewolf attack was from either an omega or an actual pack planning on taking over the area. If it's a pack, we will find something tonight. If it's an omega, I don't think we will."

"Does that mean you think we should do nothing?" Aspen asked.

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Allison said. "I just think our strategy needs to be flexible enough that we can adjust to either situation."

Lydia was impressed. From the amount of insecurity Allison had displayed when it came to her interactions with the other family, Lydia expected her to barely be holding it together. Instead, Allison took charge of the situation, dismissing Aspen's plans with logic. Lydia watched as Logan stared at Allison with awe, Josh and Piper with begrudging respect, and Aspen with barely concealed jealousy.

As she listened to the plan, she sent text after text to Jackson to keep him updated. She knew he'd know how to best manipulate them into hopefully the right places to keep himself safe when the confrontation did happen. At least that's what she hoped.

"Okay, moon's rising. We should go," Sean said. "Can Lydia use a gun?"

"I'll stick with my cattle prod thanks," Lydia said.

"I like you," Sara said, an oddly twisted smile.

"That's sweet. Glad you're traveling with me," Lydia said.

Lydia liked Allison's plan. She'd ended up dividing them into two groups. Sara, Lydia, Josh, Logan, and Allison would take a patrol on one side of the wide forest to the east of Beacon Hills along the cliff face that separated the town from the rest of the untamed Californian wilderness. Sean, Chris, Lisa, Piper, and Aspen would hang around the Hale House, about half a mile to the north of it.

After an hour of trekking through wet leaves and dirt, Lydia began to question her decision to come out with them. More than a few times, Logan and Allison had to help her along. Anytime Josh gave her a dirty look for it, she just smiled sweetly at him and continued to push onwards.

Every once in a while, Sara and Allison would stake down a sonic emitter. The general plan Lydia had watched develop was to use the emitters to encourage their prey to stay within a certain area between the two groups. The hunter's efficiency worried her but she knew Jackson would be okay. He had to be.

 

-.-

 

Jackson was surprised at how seamlessly he blended in with the new pack. They spared him a glance or two after Olivia's introduction but that was all. Jackson took a seat on a boulder by the edge of the forest, tapping his fingers against his knees as the near full moon raised higher and higher into the sky.

Olivia sat down beside him, nearly knocking him off in the process. "So how does your pack usually run?"  
"I don't know. We just go out and do what we want," Jackson said. "I guess we usually end up fighting."

"Then you'll fit right in," Olivia said, her grin feral as the golden light began to seep into her eyes. "Try not to end up at the bottom of the pack though. That's one way to fuck yourself over."

Before Jackson could ask her to elaborate, a sharp howl made him stiffen and his skin crawl. Marisa grabbed Jackson and Olivia's shoulders and tossed them off the boulder before leaping up on top of it. The rest of the pack pressed in and a hand extended down to help Jackson to his feet.

"Marisa is pretty vicious, you'll get used to it," the guy said, still hanging on to his hand. His blue eyes were bright, a hint of gold beginning to break through the iris. "I'm Aaron. Good to meet you."

"Yeah, you too."

"So, tonight's full moon is a little different said," Marisa said, her voice silencing the low murmurs of the pack. "We have an expert group of hunters that may or may not be out tonight. We also have a new member vying for a position. Feel free to smack him around, but be careful tonight. We won't go running tomorrow."

She leapt down from the boulder and loped into the forest. Olivia followed after her but Jackson hesitated, struggling to throw himself in whole-heartedly and really let go. Aaron nudged him and Jackson let out a sigh at his smile. He joined in with the running stream of werewolves, keeping close to Aaron. For a few minutes, the run was peaceful, but then someone was leaping onto his shoulders.

Jackson growled and hauled his attacker over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground. He bent down low, feeling his claws lengthen and his adrenaline spike as he snarled down at the other werewolf. Confident his point had been made, Jackson turned back to Aaron. Aaron flashed a smile and they continued on.

Numerous times, Jackson was attacked and every time he put them in their place, letting the insecurity transform itself into rage and power. Derek's training apparently could pay off. Before long, Aaron fell back and the only person standing between him and Marisa and Olivia was Tobias. For a moment, Jackson fought with the urge to attack and put Tobias down the way he had the others. But Erica's pain and her tears were still fresh in his mind, and he hesitated.

There wasn't any way he could beat Tobias with brute force the way Boyd or Derek or even Scott would. He'd have to play it like Erica or Isaac, take him by surprise, use his speed and smaller body to his advantage. He sucked in a deep breath and launched himself forward, grabbing Tobias's shoulders and vaulting over his head, landing in front of him and sliding in between Olivia and Marisa in one smooth motion.

For a moment, he was worried that Tobias wasn't going to stand for it, but when he glanced over his shoulder, there was a begrudging sort of respect in the other werewolf's eyes. He spun around only to skid to a halt as a high pitched whistling noise exploded in his ears, making his vision spin.

He fell to his knees, dimly aware of the werewolves around him growling, bones creaking as they transformed and lunged up and away. There was the sound of gunfire and Jackson scrambled back when a werewolf collapsed in front of him, eyes wide and unseeing, claws and fangs elongated.

Jackson got to his feet and tried to get his bearings, but then an arrow sliced the air beside him and exploded into flaring light against the tree trunk in front of him. A hand clamped down on his shoulder and tossed him back. Aaron shoved him down and braced above him, air punching out of his lungs as his eyes widened. Jackson stared up at him, then his gaze went down to the arrow protruding from his chest. Jackson sucked in a deep breath and shoved Aaron's limp body away with his fear and shock before scrambling back up as his vision cleared.

He caught Allison's gaze for a moment and then she fired her crossbow, but not before pivoting and aiming at someone else. A glance around the area revealed that most of the pack had scattered with only Marisa and Tobias nearby. He tensed when he saw Tobias whirl on Lydia.

Before Jackson could move, Tobias shoved her down, hand arching back to slash at her neck. A high pitched wail tore from Lydia's throat and werewolf and human alike fell to their knees, clutching at their ears. Jackson forced his eyes open, focusing on Lydia. Her eyes were white, glowing, with her red hair floating in twisted tendrils around her as she continued to scream, tears streaking down her face.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, hauling him up and forcing him to start moving. Once they were a safe distance away, he looked over and realized the person pulling him along was Marisa. Her other hand was pressed over a wound, slicked with blood, and there was a twisted grimace on her face.

"Head back to the house," she said, shoving him forward. "I have to make sure Tobias is okay."

"I should help-"

"Go. Make sure Olivia is okay," Marisa said, her eyes glowing red as she glowered at him.

Jackson turned away and headed off, not willing to contradict an Alpha wearing her power so openly. A huge part of him wanted to run back and make sure Lydia was alive but he knew he couldn't with Marisa so close. It was impossible to get the image of her out of his mind, so he was stuck reminding himself that Allison would take care of her. Even when Allison had betrayed Scott and the others, she had never turned her back on Lydia. If anyone could take of Lydia in his absence, it was Allison.

When he reached Olivia's house, she was lying on the living room floor, eyes glazed as she stared up at the ceiling. Jackson couldn't see or smell any injuries on her so after closing and locking the door, he hovered a safe distance back. After a moment, Olivia rolled on her side to face him.

"Don't just stand there. You're no Tobias but you'll do," she said.

"I'll do?" Jackson knelt down beside her and picked out a few leaves and twigs from her hair before stretching out beside her.

"What, your pack never cuddles after a run?" she asked, rolling almost completely on top of him.

Her white t-shirt rode up to the middle of her ribcage, revealing more unblemished olive skin. Jackson placed a steadying hand on her lower back and she went limp against him with a soft sigh.

"Well yeah, but I'm not pack yet," Jackson said.

"Yeah I know but do you see anyone else here?"

Jackson rubbed his thumb against her spine. "True."

He wanted nothing more than to curl up with Isaac and Lydia and maybe even  _Scott_  and erase the images of Aaron's dead eyes from his mind. But all he had was Olivia and he could tell she was just as distraught as he was from the way she occasionally shook against him. He tightened his arm around her.

"You feel it you know?" Olivia said. "When a packmate dies. It hurts."

"Wouldn't know. No one in my old pack ever died," Jackson said. "Can't say I'm looking forward to feeling it happen."

"Well you'll have us," Olivia said.

Jackson made a non-committal noise and tugged her closer. He kept his eyes open so he wouldn't have to see Aaron's dead eyes hovering above him.

 

-.-

 

"What is she?"

Allison kept her pistol aimed at Sean's head, trying to keep her cool even though Josh, Sean, and Aspen had various weapons pointed at Lydia. Chris was crouched beside Lydia, holding her close as she shook, eyes vacant, almost as though she were in shock. On second thought, Allison supposed she  _was_.

"Answer the question or a bullet goes through her head and then yours," Sean said.

"We don't know," Allison said. "But if she was a threat, don't you think we would've dealt with her by now?"

"I think you're soft," Aspen said. "This girl is supernatural. We get rid of all things inhuman, former friends or not."

"Wait," Logan said, shoving his way between Lydia and his family. "No one knows what Lydia is. Shouldn't we figure it out so we know what we're dealing with next time?"  
"Next time? You're not going to kill her  _this_  time," Allison said, leveling Logan and then Aspen with a hard glare.

"And if it turns out she's a true threat who has yet to fully manifest her powers?" Lisa asked from behind her.

"Then it's still my call," Allison said. "This town is under Argent protection, not yours."

"Not for long," Lisa said, sliding around to Allison's front. She lowered Allison's arm and leaned in close. "We sent a request to the Council to formally remove the Argents from the Council record."

"The Council? They haven't been active for years," Chris said.

"My God, you  _have_  been living under a rock haven't you?" Lisa folded her arms across her chest after removing her black cap and allowing her blonde hair to tumble back down around her shoulders. "There's been a rise in supernatural activity all across the country. The Council started contacting families and moving them to the most concentrated areas."

"Well that's great, you're still not going to kill my friend," Allison said. "So back off."

"Logan,  _move_ ," Aspen ordered.

"No! Allison's right on this. There's no need to kill Lydia if she might not be a threat," Logan said, a begging note in his voice. "For once can you guys think before you pull the trigger?"

Allison was surprised. She knew Logan's feelings for her weren't strong enough to cause such an outburst. His anger had to have been building for a while for the amount of strength he was showing.

"Sean, put your gun down. In fact, all of you do that," Sara ordered. "For once I'm agreeing with Logan."

"Better to shoot him and be done with it," Josh said with a shrug.

"Gun. Down. Now," Sara said, yanking the gun out of Josh's hand. "You're all being too rash. We'll deal with our disagreements via the Council or not at all. Allison, take your father and Lydia and leave. We took out seven werewolves tonight. Let's focus on the positives."

Allison shoved Sean aside and, after giving Logan a grateful look, helped her dad and Lydia to their feet. On the way out of the forest, Allison kept a firm grip on Lydia.

_What are you Lydia? And how the hell do I save you?_

 

-.-

 

Allison collapsed onto her couch, rubbing at her forehead in hopes of staving off her headache a little longer. Lydia was sleeping in Allison's bed upstairs and she'd already called Lydia's mother to let her know she was spending the night, but she also knew she had a long night ahead of her.

Chris re-entered the room, beer in hand. He sat down across from Allison, avoiding her gaze as he took a sip of his drink.

"I called Derek. He and Scott will be here soon," Chris said after a moment.

"Shouldn't we be worried about them being seen?" Allison asked.

"Not anymore. The Grossmans have made their stance clear. Aligning ourselves openly with the Hale Pack is the least of our problems," Chris said.

The front door slammed open and Allison jerked upright. Boyd paused to wave at them before heading up the stairs, no doubt following Lydia's scent to go check her over. Scott and Derek entered the living room after him, taking a seat on either side of Allison. She didn't hesitate to slump against Scott, her normal insecurity and apprehension wiped away by exhaustion.

Scott wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "So what exactly is going on? Stiles said his dad called and told him he wouldn't back until way late. Something to do with reported gunshots in the woods."

"Well our plan didn't work as well as we hoped," Chris started.

"Is Jackson alive?" Derek asked.

Allison nodded. "Yeah, I saw him get away."

"So the problem is Lydia, isn't it?" The Alpha got to his feet, pacing between the living room and staircase. "I heard her scream. We all did. It wasn't quite human but it was definitely Lydia."

"Do you have any idea what she could be?" Chris said.

"That depends, are you going to hurt her?" Scott asked.

"No. No matter what that will not be an option," Chris said.

"I wasn't sure until I heard the scream. That's what really narrowed it down," Derek said. "She's a Banshee, at least partially. Not necessarily dangerous, and she dies like any other human."

"So what can she do? Besides scream loud enough to bring everyone to their knees?" Allison asked. The scream still echoed in her mind and she couldn't help a slight shiver at the memory.

"She can paralyze people. And legend says she can foretell death if trained properly," Derek said. "But that's all Peter's bestiary had on Banshees. I'm sorry."

"And she can be a powerful user of magical abilities," Chris said. "If my memory of my father's bestiary serves me right."

"Then she's not a threat," Allison said. "Not that the Grossmans will care."

"Did they react badly?" Scott asked.

"That's an understatement. They called for an official removal of our name from Council record," Chris said.

"Which you still haven't explained by the way," Allison said.

Chris sighed and took another drink. "You might as well sit down Derek. Pacing isn't helping."

Derek gave a short huff and then sat down beside Allison once more. "Okay let's hear it."

"The Council exists in almost every country. They rarely assemble, and in fact the last time they did so in the United States was during the Civil War," Chris said. "They assemble for a variety of reasons; a national crises where they're based, a spike in supernatural activity, and sometimes if there are too many disputes among the hunting families in the country they oversee."

"Who are they though?" Allison asked. "You've never mentioned them."

"They've never been important," Chris said. "Here, the Council consists of the four oldest, native hunting families. The Argents used to hold a position on the Council in Europe actually, before new ones developed in Germany, Spain, Italy, and a few other smaller countries."

"Why bother listening to them though?" Derek asked.

"It allows for order, and it will keep the Grossmans off our back for three months," Chris said. "The Council brings order to disputes, and to the way hunters interact. Once they put rules in place, no one disobeys. The consequences for disobeying are exile or death."

"What? They can't just do that, can they?" Scott glanced between Derek and Chris. "Right?"  
Derek shrugged. "Werewolf packs kill one another off all the time. It makes sense hunters would do the same when they ran into conflict."

"So what does this all mean?" Allison asked.

"For the Grossmans to keep their claim in with the Council, they aren't allowed to attack us," Chris said. "In three months time, we'll have to travel to wherever the Council is based with our representative. They will fight the representative of the Grossmans. Whoever wins gets the land, and whoever loses will be exiled."

"Seems very medieval," Scott said.

"Well the rules and rituals did originate in Europe," Chris said. "And the three months will give us time to deal with the Casia Pack."

"Small favors," Allison said. "Who's the representative?"

"We'll have to find someone. It can't be either of us or a supernatural creature," Chris said.

"We can help. Find someone I mean," Derek said. "It's the least we can do. But I don't think there's much more we can do now."

"We'll see what the Grossmans do tomorrow, and same with the Casia Pack," Chris said. "We can't exactly plan in advance for this, other than staying in touch at all times. The more information everyone knows, the better off we'll be."

"Sounds good to me. Can we maybe uh...go check on Lydia?" Scott asked.

Allison smiled and got to her feet, tugging Scott up with her. "Sure. We got to save her from Boyd's mothering don't we?"

Derek didn't follow after them when they headed up the stairs. Allison eased her bedroom door open, her smile widening a bit when she saw Boyd sitting by the top of the bed, running a hand over Lydia's forehead and hair. Scott took a deep breath and then turned to Allison.

"She smells fine. I think just...whatever she did exhausted her," Scott said. "But it seems like she'll be fine."

"You'll tell her we came right?" Boyd asked.

"Yeah, of course," Allison said.

Boyd got to his feet after a few more seconds and brushed passed Allison, squeezing her shoulder on his way out. She raised her eyebrows and shared a look with Scott. It was the first time Boyd had expressed any sort of affection towards her, and while surprising, it was actually quite comforting as well. Scott hugged her close and kissed her forehead.

"It's going to be okay, Allison," he said.

"You always say that," she said. "And it never is."

His smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he pulled back. "I think we've gotten out okay."

"Scott, my mom is dead," Allison said.

The moment the words left her mouth, it was like a punch to the stomach. With everything that had happened, she had practically forgotten. The loss of her mother, the gaping wound it left in her chest, had become almost unnoticeable since the Grossmans arrived.

"Allison?"

"I can't believe I  _forgot_ ," she said, voice breathless.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey," Scott said, grabbing her by her elbows to keep her steady. "That's okay Allison. It happens. Things get in the way, it doesn't make you a bad person."

She slumped against him and choked her tears back. "I can't afford to think about her. How  _doesn't_  that make me a bad person Scott?"

"You're trying to protect your friends and family Allison," Scott said, wrapping his arms tight around her. "If anything, your mom would understand what you're doing."

"I guess I have to keep telling myself that," Allison said quietly.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

Allison pulled back and shook her head. "No. No you should go home and get some sleep. I'll be fine."

Scott bit his lip then kissed her on the cheek. "Okay. Let me know if there's anything I can do, okay?"

"Yeah, I will."

She watched as he headed down the stairs and then headed into her room. Lydia shifted on the bed, turning on her side and then letting out a deep sigh before going still. Allison moved to sit down by her head, brushing Lydia's hair back and then reaching down to hold Lydia's hand in her own.

For a long while, she stared out her window. Sleep was much too far away to chase after.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles' life continues to spiral out of his control, Jackson starts feeling guilty, and Erica loses her temper. All in time for the full moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Split the chapter in half because too much was happening in one go so I needed to break the action up. The next chapter should be up tomorrow.

Stiles jerked awake, the remnants of his nightmare already fading away. He wasn't sure which was worse; the ones that stuck with him or the ones so bad he couldn't remember them. Danny stirred and Stiles raised his eyebrows when he realized Danny was using his head as a pillow. Not expected, but definitely not something he minded.

He twisted around to look at the clock on the wall. 1:00 AM. Stiles groaned and flopped his head back against the edge of the couch. At 11:00, his dad had called to let him know that he'd be late, mumbling something about gunshots. Stiles could tell his dad was exhausted when they'd talk on the phone, which only scared him more because the best way to lower the survival rate against werewolves was to be exhausted.

Stiles would know.

Not long after that, Scott had texted him with the world's vaguest update about how Lydia had gone a bit crazy but was recovering. He figured if anything had gone truly wrong, Scott would've come over, so he wasn't too concerned.

"Danny? It's really late," Stiles said quietly, poking Danny's jaw.

"Hnngf..." After another minute or so, Danny pushed himself up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Time is it?"

"Anyone ever tell you that you look like an adorable puppy when you wake up?" Stiles asked.

Danny yawned and pulled his phone out. "Your flirting really needs some work."

"Harsh. Did Jackson text you about how things went on his end?" Stiles asked. He stretched his arms high above his head and then dropped his hands down into his lap.

"Yeah. Just said everything's fine," Danny said with a shrug. "Which probably means everything went to hell."  
The sound of the garage door opening stopped any further conversation. Stiles leapt to his feet and headed for the door to the garage, and when his dad walked in he had to stop himself from hugging him tight.

"Stiles, why are you still up?" John asked, setting his keys and wallet on the counter.

"I was worried."

John's eyes flicked to look over Stiles' shoulder and Stiles turned to see Danny standing behind him, hands in his pockets.

"Hello, sir. Stiles was worried so when we finished our homework, I offered to stay," Danny said. "Hope you don't mind."

"Stiles..." John ran a hand through his short hair and shook his head. "This isn't any different than any other time I've stayed late. What's going on?"

Stiles sucked in a deep breath, searching for some excuse only to come up empty. "I'm sorry Dad. I just...had a bad feeling."

John didn't look convinced but he gave a short nod. "Well we called in the FBI. That should help put you at ease."

"FBI agents are douchebags," Stiles said. "But I guess it helps."

"You know Stiles, not all of them are like Scott's-"

Stiles coughed and grabbed Danny's arm, yanking him into the living room. "Gonna take Danny home now."

"It was nice meeting you Sheriff!" Danny called as Stiles tugged him towards the front door.

"Sorry you had to see that," Stiles said.

Danny followed him out to the Jeep and climbed into the passenger seat. "See...what, exactly?"

Stiles didn't look at him, keeping his gaze anywhere but Danny's face. "Oh you know. Touching and awkward family moments. Doesn't make me look good."

"In what world? It's nice to know you can manage something other than sarcasm honestly," Danny said, and even though his tone was joking, Stiles found that the comment stung.

He pulled out of his driveway and began to head back further into town. "Look, I don't...I don't like people seeing my weak spots, and my dad is one of them. Sue me."

"You ever going to tell him what's  _really_  going on? I mean if they're calling in the FBI whatever happened tonight must've been bad right?" Danny asked.

"So, what do I say? Hey, dad, werewolves exist and the people who hunt them are total psychopaths. How does that even help, assuming he actually believes me?" Stiles knew Danny didn't deserve the anger in his voice but he couldn't help himself.

"At least he'd be more careful," Danny said. "And honestly, I don't see how he  _couldn't_  believe you. It's not like you guys are that good at hiding it. Besides, Scott is proof enough."

"Look, Danny. I appreciate the effort, but seriously, this is up to me, okay?"

"Okay fine. But gambling with your dad's life isn't smart."

Stiles pulled into Danny's driveway and threw the car into park. "Thanks. For keeping me from flipping out while my dad was gone."

Danny opened the door and hopped out before flashing a smile at Stiles. "No problem. It was mutually beneficial."

Stiles shared the smile, strained as it was. "Yeah, see you tomorrow Danny."

He waited until Danny was safely inside before heading home, tossing Danny's words around in his head. Of course, everything Danny had said made perfect sense, but that didn't help put Stiles at ease.

The entire time his mom had been sick and dying, his father had shielded him. Really, both of his parents had. They protected him from the harsh reality of his mother's energy and life withering away with placating smiles and lies about how everything would be fine. In the end, it had been useless, and maybe their protection had actually made the ultimate fallout even worse.

Stiles could remember holding his mom's hand as she breathed in her last breath. It messed with his head for years after, the moment of realization that his mom wasn't immortal. None of them were. Death came for everyone in the end, but instead of helping Stiles face that truth before it really hurt, they shielded him and left him to discover it on his own in an uncomfortable hospital chair as he waited for his dad to show up.

A shuddering sigh blew passed Stiles' lips as he turned off the engine. He couldn't do to his dad what had been done to him. It was inevitable after all. Eventually, his dad was going to run into the supernatural and face the truth. But Stiles didn't have to let him face it on his own.

 

-.-

 

Scott sat down next to Stiles with a heavy sigh before English and glanced around the room. He'd managed to be earlier than Logan and Josh, and even Allison for once.

"So Stiles. Things went to shit more than I said last night. We're going to meet at Derek's after school," Scott said. "Regroup and all that."

Stiles bounced his pencil against the desk a few times before looking over at him. "Sure but we have to do something else first."

Scott's brow furrowed. It had been awhile since Stiles had come across as so closed off that Scott  _couldn't_  read what was bugging him with one look. "Yeah, of course. What's wrong?"

"I want to tell my dad. About all this." Stiles glanced away from him and Scott had to resist the urge to wrap him in a tight hug and maybe drag him all the way home so they could avoid the stress of everything.

"Okay. I'm behind you 100%, whatever you need," Scott said.

Before Scott could say anything else, Allison entered the room with Logan on her heels. Allison slid into her seat between Stiles and Scott, giving them each a quick look before pulling out her books.

"Allison, please, I just want to help," Logan said as he took his usual seat behind her.

Scott looked back at Logan, inwardly wincing at the desperately eager expression on his face.  _God is that how I used to look at her?_  "Hey, if she doesn't want to talk, leave her alone. Don't be annoying."

Logan looked over at him and then back down at his desk, sinking into his seat.

"Thanks. He's been bugging me since I got here," Allison said.

"Where's Josh?" Scott asked.

"No clue," Allison said.

"And Lydia?" Scott asked.

Logan perked up and for a second, Scott debated trying to cover up why he was asking. He shrugged off the worry though. Officially, the Grossmans' hands were tied, and Logan seemed like the type of person to stay quiet even when he knew something. It was only a matter of time before the Grossmans figured out just who was in the Hale Pack anyways.

"She went home but she's still resting," Allison said. "Did either of you see the news this morning?"

"Yeah, seven bodies in the woods," Stiles said. "Welcome to Beacon Hills, where you're practically guaranteed to be murdered by a psychopath."

Allison frowned at the bitter note in Stiles' voice, exchanging a quick look of concern with Scott. Scott just shrugged. There were some things he didn't want to let Logan overhear.

When Josh walked in and took his seat beside Logan, the three of them went silent. Scott was sure Stiles didn't know what had actually happened the night before, but Stiles never had trouble picking up on the mood and adjusting.

 

-.-

 

Allison joined them for lunch for the first time since the Grossmans had moved in. The tension between them all made Scott want to run. Jackson sat with Olivia still, and the Grossmans had almost all their attention focused on Allison's back.

"So when do we get to rip their heads off?" Erica asked, voice tight.

"Which one?" Boyd asked.

"No one is ripping anyone's head off," Scott said, glaring at them both.

"Have you talked to Jackson yet?" Danny asked.

"No, not yet." Scott looked over his shoulder at Jackson, reading the tension in his shoulders and then turned back to Danny. "I'll try and talk to him. He didn't answer my texts last night."

"Lovely," Danny said.

"So when do you plan on telling us  _exactly_  what happened anyways?" Stiles asked, glancing between Scott and Allison. "Your vague ass texts were really unhelpful."

"I don't think now's the best time for this discussion," Isaac said, nodding over Scott's shoulder. "Olivia's got super hearing in case you didn't know. You know, the whole  _werewolf_  bit."

"I'm still for the option that we just kill them," Erica said as she stabbed at her tray with her fork.

Scott nudged her leg under the table until she looked up at him, hesitantly meeting his eyes. "You don't mean that."  
Her gaze hardened but she bowed her head and didn't push him. He hadn't been worried, really, about Erica, Boyd, or Isaac giving in to their more violent natures, but now, full moon or not, he wasn't so sure. Just the knowledge that Lydia had almost died could've put them more on edge too.

"We'll be staying in for the full moon tonight, probably at Derek's," Scott said.

"The Grossmans' hands are technically tied but I don't think we can count on that for sure," Allison said. "But Isaac's right. We should wait until later."

Stiles looked like he wanted to say something else but then he ducked his head. Scott listened to their heartbeats, listened to the fear and the tension contained within them, and wondered if he'd ever be able to make that fear go away.

 

-.-

 

Jackson watched Olivia push her food around on her plate, unable to help how worried he felt. The confidence that had practically radiated off of her only twenty-four hours ago was almost completely gone. He hated feeling so sympathetic, especially since she was still intent on destroying his pack and killing Derek, but how could he not? There was something about almost dying that really forged a bond between people.

Of course that was terrifying in its own way. If he ended up too attached...would he feel it if Olivia died? Tobias? Marisa? Sure, he hated them for the most part, but he hadn't been the biggest fan of Derek or his pack either and he'd still been driven to help them, protect them, simply  _exist_  alongside them.

Olivia kicked his leg. "You look a bit lost in the clouds there pretty boy."

"Because you're such a ray of sunshine," he shot back. "I'm just thinking."

"Yeah well I've been thinking too, but about something that could actually be helpful," Olivia said, straightening in her seat.

The false bravado in her words made Jackson's chest feel tight. He wanted to shake her and tell her he could see right through it all because his whole life had been one huge lie of confidence. But instead, Jackson took a deep breath and closed down his gut reaction when his eyes met Olivia's again.

"Okay, I'll bite. What about?"

"Marisa is thinking of how she wants to deal with the hunters, so that leaves me to deal with your old pack," Olivia said. "And I want your help."

"I thought you already had some other brilliant source," Jackson said. "Why do you need me?"

Olivia waved a dismissive hand. "He's too out of touch with you all I think. Marisa is just too taken with him."

"Okay...so what do you want to know?"

"Who's the weakest link we can press and use to our advantage?" she asked.

"Well what kind of reaction are you going for?" Jackson asked.

Olivia twirled her spoon between her fingers. "I want to shift the hunter's attention away from us. If we can force one of the Hale Pack into attacking someone, your pack will be scrambling to protect them from the hunters, which will leave us with a wonderful opening. We'll be able to wipe out the hunters and the pack while they deal with each other."

"Smart, I'll give you that. There's a lot of variables though," Jackson said. "Derek's pack is too well trained to just attack anyone."

"That's while I'll be the one dealing with that part. They already hate me," Olivia said. "So who's the quickest to anger?"

Jackson's gaze flicked over to where the pack sat. "Erica. If you get confrontational with her, she'll react. She always does."

"See, our other source doesn't know these things! I knew you were more useful." Olivia grinned and nudged him under the table. "And where are the hunters? It's too hard to pick out their scent in this room."

"To the left, three tables back," Jackson said. "You sure you'll be able to stop yourself from going after them instead?"

Olivia shrugged. "I'm not as rash as people think I am. Last time I reacted without thinking, I ended up getting someone killed. I learned my lesson. Better if I just play everyone off of each other."

Jackson could see the determination in her eyes. It was admirable, and it hurt to know that he was going to be the one to ruin it all for her.

 

-.-

 

"You know, I keep waiting for the day I never have to see Mr. Harris' face but he always ends up teaching at least one of my classes," Stiles said as he slid into his seat next to Erica.

She folded her arms across her chest. "And to think, you almost escaped him this year."

"I'm still convinced he broke Mrs. Gottfried's leg himself just so he could come make my life hell," Stiles said.

Erica snorted and shook her head. Stiles had his head pillowed on his arms, and despite his sarcastic remarks, she could practically feel the unease and anxiety coming off of him in waves. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but she knew she couldn't.

On top of Harris taking over the class, she and Stiles also shared it with Josh and Olivia, which made it the worst class and hour of her day. It didn't help that Olivia had a grin on her face that made Erica want to rip her face off. She knew if it weren't for the full moon, she'd be a little less hostile, but even knowing that didn't really help.

"Mrs. Gottfried seems to be okay with you all picking your own groups but as many of you know, Stiles, I get a certain kind of joy seeing you all squirm from actual human interaction, so I selected your groups," Mr. Harris said.

Stiles groaned into his arms as Mr. Harris began to number them off. Erica watched carefully, biting the inside of her cheek when Olivia's number matched hers and Stiles' matched Josh's.

 _Well there's no way this is going to end well,_  Erica thought as she got to her feet and headed back for the lab table. Figured it would be dissection day. Erica debated if she could get away with stabbing Olivia in the thigh with the scalpel but then decided against it and cut open the frog in front of them instead.

"So, how's it feel to know your pack is slowly falling apart? Just out of curiosity?" Olivia asked quietly, leaning into Erica's space and pretending to examine the frog.

"How does it feel to know I'm going to rip your hair out of that pretty little head?" Erica asked. She gave Olivia a full smile, the grin stretching wider when Olivia's eyes narrowed.

"You would've died that night if I hadn't backed off," Olivia hissed.

"If thinking that makes you feel better," Erica said.

She made note of a few of the organs and bit the inside of her cheek once more when Olivia's hand clenched down on her thigh. Her own hand snapped down to cover it, claws pinching the skin between Olivia's thumb until Olivia jerked back. Erica tossed her hair over her shoulder and then set the scalpel aside, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Olivia.

" _Really_  hun?" she asked. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that to get under my skin."

"Oh really?" Olivia asked. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Erica's, fingers returning to Erica's thigh to crawl over her tight black jeans. "Then how about this? I'm going to kill your Alpha. Then, once I get done turning Jackson into my little bitch, I'll do the same with you and any of your other pathetic packmates that manage to survive."

Erica shoved Olivia back, catching the barest hint of a grin on Olivia's face before Olivia and her chair clattered to the ground. Olivia let out a high-pitched yelp and Erica recoiled, glancing around the room. She caught a briefly panicked look in Stiles' eyes and then whirled back to look at Olivia but not before catching her reflection in the mirror above the lab sink at the counter. Gold eyes.

Erica shoved the anger down hard and glowered down at Olivia, jerking away when Mr. Harris grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back. Mr. Harris helped Olivia up who was suddenly crying and wiping tears from her face and fixing her black hair.

"What happened?" Mr. Harris paused, glancing between them. "Actually, I don't care. Erica, you can report to detention with me after school today. Olivia, do you need to go to the office?"

Olivia sniffed and shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine. Can I...have a different partner?"

"Of course."

Erica sat back down, head bowed. When her new partner sat down next to her, she looked up, first catching Stiles' eyes and then glancing over at Josh. The hunter's lips were crooked up into a smirk and after a long moment, he broke his gaze away from hers and turned back to Stiles.

She took a deep breath and turned back to the dissection, trying not to think too hard about what she'd just done.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my area got hit by an ice storm really bad so I lost power so you guys probs won't hear from me until like next week. Enjoy the extra long chapter.

Stiles nearly crashed into Scott by his locker after school, trying to swallow his panic long enough to actually speak. Scott grabbed his shoulders and squeezed, the pressure refocusing Stiles' brain. He took a deep breath and knocked Scott's hands away.

"Okay so Erica's eyes got a little, a lot, weird during biology and Josh totally saw it and he's hanging around Harris' room waiting for her to get out of detention and what the  _hell_  do we do?" Stiles slumped against the lockers, trying to slow his breathing.

"Are you serious?" Scott glanced around the still busy hallway and then grabbed Stiles' arm, tugging him into a nearby closet.

"Well if you wanted to ravish me you could've just asked, though you could be a bit more romantic about this," Stiles said, cringing at the way his voice shook.

"Maybe later." Scott flicked the light on and then rested his hands on Stiles' shoulders once more. "Now tell me exactly what happened."

Stiles leaned into Scott's grasp. "Right. So Olivia said something to her, I don't know what, and it made Erica flip out and shove her to the ground and her eyes changed, you know, because she was angry. And Josh  _definitely_  saw it. I know, I was sitting right next to him."

Scott closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Stiles' as his hands dropped back down to his sides. "Okay just let me think out loud for a second."

Stiles' heart stuttered. He hated when Scott seemed so lost. Obviously Scott wasn't some mastermind who could hold the weight of the world on his shoulders with no problem, but Stiles usually turned to him to lead. The whole blind leading the blind thing was doing nothing for his nerves.

"So the Grossmans didn't know the Hale Pack existed, not for sure anyways. Erica hangs with us so we'll probably all be guilty by association," Scott said.

"Unless they just assume we're with the other pack. Do they know there's another pack?"  
Scott leaned back against the shelves. "No. They must think the ones they gunned down last night were from the Hale Pack."

"But you said their hands are tied now, right? They can't hunt until...whatever, I don't know. You really need to learn how to text better," Stiles said.

"Officially, yes, they aren't supposed to hunt until things are resolved between them and the Argents, but if Josh is waiting to ambush Erica I doubt they're taking it that seriously," Scott said.

"So what do we do?" Stiles asked.

"I'll have Boyd wait for her. The rest of us can go to Derek's so we can deal with our fifty other problems," Scott said. "Do you still want to go talk to your dad now?"  
Stiles shook his head. "No, we've got to deal with this stuff first, especially with the full moon tonight."

Scott's gaze softened and he stepped closer to Stiles. "You're important too you know. I don't want all of this to make things too difficult for you. If you want out, you can. I'm not going to blame you, you know that, right?"  
"Of course I know that you idiot." Stiles clenched his jaw. "But...you guys are my pack now. Kinda snuck up on me, really. And you've been my brother for way longer. I'm in this for the long haul."

Scott blinked and then yanked Stiles forward, pressing their lips together in a hard kiss before pushing him back. "I seriously don't know what I'd do without you."

"That was unexpected but definitely okay," Stiles said. "I should go find Danny. We'll meet you at Derek's yeah? Maybe do some more of that?"  
Scott's smile was strained but even then it managed to put Stiles' at ease.

-.-

Boyd turned the page of his economics textbook, keeping his gaze rooted on the words even though the whole of his attention was focused on Josh. They sat on opposite sides of the hall outside Harris' room, and Boyd knew Josh hadn't stopped staring at him since he arrived. It was probably a misguided attempt to unnerve him, but Boyd was used to waiting people out.

"So how do you know Erica?" Josh asked.

Boyd continued reading, ears focused in on Josh's steady heartbeat. Perhaps the most unnerving thing about the hunter was not his robotic blue eyes that seemed to see right through him, but his rock steady heartbeat that hadn't sped up even once since Boyd arrived.

He knew that one of a werewolf's greatest tools was being able to tell when someone was lying by listening to the upticks of their heartbeat. Boyd had a feeling that Josh could tell lie upon lie without a single break in the hypnotic beat.

When he reached the bottom of the page, Boyd folded the book shut and looked up at Josh with a patient smile. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Josh brushed his dark red bangs out of his eyes and leveled Boyd with what he guessed was supposed to be an intimidating stare. "How do you know Erica?"

"She's my best friend. Do you need to talk to Mr. Harris? Detention or not, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you go in," Boyd said.

"I think we're both aware of why I'm here. There's no need to pretend anymore," Josh said. "I'm going to deal with you both."  
"Oh really? Here? A bit public for mayhem and murder isn't it?" Boyd asked.

"So you're admitting that you're just as much as a monster as she is?"

"Do you even listen to yourself? No one talks like that in the real world," Boyd said. "Are you always this dramatic?"  
Josh's lips turned down.

"And you  _do_  realize we haven't hurt anyone, right?" Boyd asked.

He wasn't sure Scott would approve of how much he was saying, but he was fed up. Josh wanted to kill Lydia and Erica, every single person in his pack. How the hell was he supposed to completely keep his cool?

The door to Harris' classroom opened and Erica stepped out, pausing when she saw Josh. Boyd shoved his book in his bag and slung it over his shoulder before getting to his feet and grabbing Erica's hand. He tugged her along down the hall and listened carefully to Josh's footsteps following behind them.

"Did your parents let you drive today?" Boyd asked lowly.

"No, they never do. You better have a back up plan," Erica said. "Because Mr. Roboto back there seems pretty intent on following us."

"Does the locker room have cameras?" Boyd asked as they headed down the steps.

"Of course not. At least not legally," Erica said.

Boyd dragged Erica into the men's locker room and shut the door behind them before Josh could reach it. He flipped the lock and smiled at Erica.

"Ta-dah."

"You needed to make sure there weren't cameras for  _that_?" she asked.

"Well if there wasn't a lock I was going to shove him in a locker," Boyd said.

Erica snorted.

"C'mon. We should keep moving."

They headed out the exit to the field and after a quick glance around to make sure they weren't being followed, headed on to the woods. Boyd could feel Erica's claws digging into his palm and the sound of her heartbeat growing more and more rapid. Once they were deeper into the woods, he stopped, tugging Erica into a tight hug and resting his chin on top of her head.

She blew out a shuddering sigh against Boyd's chest, her forehead digging into his collarbone as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Sorry I'm freaking out."

"Well we are being stalked by a psychotic teenager. It's not too surprising," Boyd said as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

"Says you. You're always in perfect control. I get spooked and scared and-" Erica pulled away and looked up at him. "I just wish I wasn't as out of control as you are."

"It just means you're more honest," Boyd said. "Look at Isaac. You never know if you're getting what he really thinks until he explodes." He smiled and rubbed her arms. "I can tell when you're upset which means I know when to help."

"You're way more of an optimist then you have any right to be, King of Silver Linings," Erica said, a short laugh escaping her.

"Made you feel better though, didn't I?"

Erica elbowed him in the side and grabbed his hand. "Whatever, let's go."

She was still smiling though, so Boyd counted it as a victory.

-.-

Stiles and Danny were the first ones to reach Derek's, or at least that's what Stiles thought until he walked in and saw Lydia curled up on the couch in a bundle of blankets. He tossed his bag on the floor and scrambled over to sit down beside her.

"Should you be here? Or conscious? You should be sleeping, are you running a fever?"

Lydia smacked Stiles' hand away when he tried to feel her forehead. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"Well sorry for over-reacting, no one's really explained what happened," Stiles said.

"Jackson isn't answering my texts either," Danny said as he sat down beside Stiles.

"So what  _did_  happen?" Stiles asked.

"She's a banshee," Derek said.

"Would it kill you to maybe announce yourself instead of lurking by the door like a total creep?" Stiles asked.

"Yes." Derek stepped fully into the room, arms folded across his chest.

"Okay so she's a banshee. Which means?" Danny asked.

"I can scream really loud and predict death or something equally dramatic," Lydia said. "Whatever it means, it's not important right now. We've got other things to worry about."  
"You're not human and we have  _other_  things to worry about?" Stiles asked.

"What's Stiles freaking out about?" Isaac asked, striding into the room and sitting at Danny's feet.

"Don't worry about it," Derek said.

Scott arrived next and sat down by Stiles' legs, squeezing his bouncing leg until Stiles finally went still. Jackson stepped into the room a little while later, and Stiles nearly had a heart attack when Danny whipped his shoe at Jackson's head.

"Really Danny? A shoe?" Jackson tossed it back towards the front door.

Danny's arms folded across his chest. "You didn't text me back. I was worried."

"We all were," Derek said.

Jackson sat down on the other side of Scott in front of Lydia, and if Stiles didn't want to punch him so much, he'd feel a bit bad for how defeated Jackson looked.

"Sorry. I was doing my job, you know the ones you guys asked me to do," Jackson said.

Lydia's hand reached out to run through Jackson's hair and he relaxed beneath her touch almost immediately. Before anything else could be said, Chris and Allison arrived. Chris moved to stand beside Derek while Allison squished herself onto the couch beside Lydia.

"You really should invest in a new couch if these little meetings are going to keep happening," Stiles said.

Derek didn't even dignify him with a look. "Boyd and Erica are going to be awhile so we're just going to explain the situation as best we can to all of you. Well, I guess, Chris is."

"The quick version is, the Grossman's want jurisdiction over Beacon Hills. While the Council is active, hunter families are moved to wherever the Council dictates their presence is most necessary," Chris said.

"Wait, why is this the first time we're hearing about this?" Isaac asked. "Don't you think you should've mentioned that when they first showed up?"

"Like I told Derek, the American Council hasn't been active since the Civil War. I have been a  _bit_  distracted since we've moved here," Chris said. "It is also entirely likely that Gerard intercepted any communications with them when he was still alive and chose not to inform myself of my wife."

"Okay, whatever, who cares. Just...what do we have to do?" Stiles asked.

"As long as the Grossman's aren't provoked, we should be able to count them out for three months. Council rules dictate that the family that makes the claim are not allowed to hunt during the three months leading up to the trial or otherwise harass the family they have made a claim about," Chris said. "Then again, if they get angry enough, the Grossman aren't exactly known for their ability to follow basic rules or morality. Also, if they are directly attacked, they have the right to defend themselves, so we'll have to be careful of that as well."

"I'm sorry but am I the only one failing to see how this is a bad thing? We've got the psychos off our backs for a whole three months," Lydia said.

"We have to find a champion to fight the Grossman's champion," Allison said, her voice small. "Someone not related to us and someone that isn't supernatural. That's what the trial is. A sort of fight to the death type thing."

"How about Deaton?" Scott asked, twisting around to look between Allison and Chris. "I mean...he's probably got some knowledge about all this. He knows about everything, and I'm pretty sure he could take one of us on if he really wanted to."

"Deaton is an emissary," Chris said. "His job is to help werewolf packs. He's not allowed either."

"Wait," Stiles said. "I have an idea."

Stiles glanced over at Danny, and after a moment a light of recognition showed in the other's eyes. "Stiles that is a horrible idea."

"If you care to enlighten us, we could either agree or disagree with him," Derek said.

"Uh...Danny and I have been seeing Deaton for awhile now. About this emissary stuff. He's been teaching us how to fight, but we're not actually emissaries and we aren't  _technically_  a part of the Hale Pack either," Stiles said. "In fact, we've got a document proving that we aren't thanks to that treaty you guys made."

"Deaton's been training you?" Scott asked, getting to his feet. "And you didn't tell any of us?"  
"Actually I knew," Lydia said, reaching over and squeezing Stiles' knee. "That being said I still think that's a dumb idea. You can't go risking your life over this."

"Do you have anyone else?" Stiles asked. He looked passed Scott and directly at Chris.

"We'll find someone," Chris said. For a moment, Stiles thought that was all he was going to say, but then the hunter shifted and unfolded his arms. "But if we can't find anyone else, Stiles might be our best bet. Deaton is one of the best. We've known him for a long while and if he can pass his skills onto Stiles-"

"You can't be serious," Scott said, whirling around to face Chris. "You're the one who was so uptight about them even joining the pack and now you're totally okay with him risking his life for you? Like it's no big deal?"  
"I said we'll try and find someone else. And we will," Chris said.

"Oh yeah?" Derek asked. "Who's going to want to be the champion for the Argent family?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Chris asked, turning towards him.

"Oh come on. Not that I don't appreciate it but you aren't exactly winning any points in any hunter's books, are you?" Derek asked. "Before all this, you had a lot of allies around to draw on. I seem to remember them smashing the windows of my car actually. Now, you can't even get them to hunt with you. What makes you think you're going to get someone to put their life and reputation on the line for you?"  
"Okay, this conversation can stop because none of you get to actually make my decision for me," Stiles said as he got to his feet, wedging his way between Scott and Chris. "You can look. Try and find someone and if you do, great. I'm just saying that I'm willing. Deaton can teach me what I need to know."

"Stiles-" Derek started.

"No. No one else gets to speak on this. It's my choice. You let me choose to be in your pack and I risk my life all the fucking time for you guys. So let me do it here if I need to," Stiles said.

"And can you guys stop insulting each other?" Lydia asked. "It's really not helping anyone."

Derek and Chris broke their glares and looked away from one another.

"Also, now might be a good time for me to mention something else that's relevant," Stiles said, shoving Scott back towards the couch to sit down on the ground before looking back at Derek and Chris. "Not that I'm trying to change the subject or anything, but this whole Grossmans not interfering might not be a thing because Erica flipped out on Olivia and Josh saw the whole thing."

"So then they know that our entire group is a pack," Isaac said. "That is what you're saying, right?"

Stiles heaved a sigh. "Yes, that's what I'm saying. I have no idea if they think you guys are the ones they attacked last night or what but that's why Scott had Boyd wait for her."

"Okay any  _other_  news we should be aware of?" Derek bit out, fixing them each with a stare when Stiles took a seat back down between Lydia and Danny.

"Just that Olivia says they have another source on the Hale Pack so I mean, it's pretty fucking obvious who that is," Jackson said.

Derek stared at him.

"Peter," Jackson said. "God are you really that stupid-"

Lydia kicked Jackson in the side. "Don't. We don't need everyone getting angry  _again_."

"What makes you think it's Peter?" Derek asked.

"He's been gone since clawing my back open and who else knows about us enough for Marisa to not think I'm necessary?" Jackson asked. "Process of elimination."

"He does have a point. And Peter's not exactly winning the nicest uncle award. Or even the not completely insane award," Stiles said.

For a moment, Derek looked like he was going to punch them both, but then Chris gripped his shoulder. Derek shook his head and shrugged him off.

"Okay, Jackson, you need to tell us everything you know and Lydia can come up with what to do next. You'll stay here with the rest of us for the full moon," Derek said. "If Olivia asks why you're not with them, make something up. Scott, you and I will look for Peter tomorrow. Isaac, I want you to work with Chris and Allison to dig up whatever you can on how this whole death match is going to go down. Stiles and Danny, you find out if Deaton knows anything else and keep training. Everyone happy?"

"We'll make it work," Allison said, getting to her feet. "Logan said he wants to help so I might be able to get something out of him."

"Any little bit could help," Scott said.

"We'll let you know the moment we discover anything more. You're going to want to make sure your house is secure tonight. All of you should stay in. Rules or not, it is a full moon," Chris said. "We don't know what the Grossmans will do. And Lydia-"

"I know, I know, stay here or with you until you're sure I'm safe," Lydia said.

Chris nodded at her and then awkwardly patted Derek on the shoulder again before leaving with Allison. Jackson got to his feet and then picked Lydia up, bundle of blankets and all. Before he could head upstairs though, Derek grabbed Jackson's arm and whispered something in his ear. Stiles scowled.

"No fair, there are humans who can't eavesdrop on you," Stiles said.

Jackson didn't even spare him a glance on his way out.

"And as for you two," Derek said, pointing at Danny and Stiles. "Next time you want to do something stupid, tell me. It's not like I'll be able to stop you anyways."

"Wow Derek, are you actually saying you  _care_  about us?" Stiles asked.

Derek didn't give a snappy retort and Stiles ended up feeling like a dick at the uncomfortable look in Derek's eyes.

"I'm just trying to protect you guys."

Stiles bit back his harsh response and settled for something a little less hostile. "Whatever. I'm driving Danny home."

"I'll go with you," Scott said. "In case you still want to uh, talk."

Stiles took a deep breath. "Yeah, sure."

-.-

"Full moon's in two hours," Erica said as they neared Derek's house. "Not looking forward to spending it cooped up. How pissed do you think Derek will be?"

Boyd squeezed her hand. "It's the full moon. You were provoked. He's not going to be that mad."

Erica didn't quite roll her eyes at Boyd's suggestion. It was hard to imagine Derek being anything but angry. After all, she had blown it for all of them. When they got inside, Erica could detect Jackson and Lydia upstairs and Isaac up in his own room. Derek was waiting for them in the living room.

His arms were folded across his chest, legs splayed wide as his eyes met hers. Erica stopped in the archway and readjusted her jacket tighter around her shoulders, her gaze dropping to the floor. Boyd nudged her further into the room after a moment but she only took a few more steps.

"Derek," Erica said. "I-"

"You realize what you've done, right?" he asked.

She wanted to be angry and yell at him that he was being unfair, that it wasn't her fault but it  _was_. The one thing he'd asked of them was to lay low and keep their cool and she'd blown it at the first confrontation.

"You've put all of your friends in danger," Derek said, getting to his feet.

"I know, I'm sorry okay?" Erica shrunk back into Boyd's larger form.

Derek paused, as if he were surprised at Erica's reaction.

"What, did you want me to scream at you?" Erica asked. "You're right okay? I fucked things up. Do you want me to do something other than apologize? Grovel at your feet?"

"No...I..."

"Okay then. I'm going to go to my room and text my parents so they know I'm not coming home. I'll stay here like a good little beta so I don't accidentally make things worse for you. Happy?"

"Erica-"

She turned away before Derek could reach out to her. She passed Jackson on her way up and he caught her arm before she could slip completely away. Jackson dropped her arm once she stopped, a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face, which she was sure she was mirroring. It wasn't often they interacted and Erica couldn't recall the last time she'd seen such an open and vulnerable expression on his face.

"I just wanted to apologize," he said.

Erica leaned back against the railing. " _You_  want to apologize? For what?"

"It's my fault Olivia targeted you. She asked for the weakest link-"

"And you said me," Erica said. "Right. Well thanks."

Erica pushed passed him and continued up the stairs. For a moment, she wanted to storm back down and punch Jackson in the face and show him just how weak she was, but then she shoved the urge and the full moon's influence down and away. She opened Isaac's door and then flopped down onto his bed beside him after slamming the door shut.

Isaac turned onto his side and set his head on his stack of textbooks before slinging an arm over her lower back. His thumb rubbed along the knobs in her spine and she huffed out a sigh as the tension began to drain out of her. After a while, he tugged her closer and she rolled with the motion, tucking her face into his neck. She pulled out her phone and sent a short text off to her parents before settling in completely.

"You know this  _might_  just be the calmest I've ever seen you on a full moon," he said.

"Yeah well even the full moon can't make me lose it now," Erica said. "Hell I'm  _glad_  we're staying in. How am I supposed to enjoy myself when I'm the one that put everyone in danger?"  
"You think we wouldn't all react the same way?" Isaac asked.

Before Erica could respond, the door opened and Erica flipped onto her back as Boyd stepped inside. He shut the door behind him and then tossed his jacket in the corner before climbing onto the bed. Erica wiggled over and pressed her back up to Isaac's chest so she could rest her head on Boyd's.

"Are we napping before the moon rises?" Boyd asked.

"If we're lucky I'll sleep all the way through it," Erica muttered.

Boyd kissed her forehead and Isaac nuzzled the back of her neck. She shoved her guilt down and concentrated on the warmth and scents of her packmates. It'd be okay. It had to be.

But it was always easier to lie to herself when everyone else was more than willing to go along with it.

-.-

"Are you  _sure_  you don't want to tell your dad tonight?" Scott asked.

Stiles threw the Jeep into park outside Derek's house, trying to keep his breath steady. After driving Danny home, Stiles had insisted on driving Scott back to Derek's, not wanting him to walk on his own.

"Yeah. Now's not the time," Stiles said. "Do you want me here tonight?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," Scott said, reaching out and squeezing Stiles' hand. "But you can come in if you want. I can hear your heartbeat Stiles. I  _know_  you're not okay right now."

"Well I did just offer myself up in a fight to the death," Stiles said, trying for a light-hearted tone of voice.

From Scott's expression, he definitely wasn't convincing. "I still don't get why you'd do that."

"You do realize I've been like, entirely useless right? That's why Danny and I started training in the first place. We're sick of not being able to help." The words poured out of Stiles without his permission, and for a brief moment he wondered if the full moon could affect the humans of a pack, making him more impulsive. "Maybe this is my thing. I can get the Grossmans out of here for good and then they can't touch you."

"Stiles...that's not your responsibility," Scott said.

"Yeah? Then who's is it? Yours?" Stiles shook his head. "Look, just let me shoulder the weight for once okay?"

Scott looked like he was about to smack him and Stiles almost flinched preemptively.

"You're an idiot. I've never had to shoulder any of the weight on my own. I've always had you, so none of this lone hero crap, okay? You don't have to do this just to prove you're worth something."

Stiles tugged his hand out from underneath Scott's. "I'll see you tomorrow."

There was a brief moment when Stiles thought maybe Scott was going to push it and that scared him. Scott knew how to get him to talk, but Stiles really didn't want it all to be slowly dragged out of him. Scott looked away and then climbed out of the passenger seat.

"Night Stiles."

Stiles grunted in response, and once he saw Scott safely inside Derek's house, he headed back out. He still wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to say he was willing to take part in some stupid hunter ritual. What he'd told Scott  _was_  true, but that hadn't been the full truth.

Sure, proving his worth to the pack was important, at least on some level. But it wasn't just the pack. He supposed on some level, the most important person he had to prove it to was the voice in his head. The voice that said he wasn't good enough, that he was weak, that he'd never be able to protect his dad. After all, it wasn't like he could put a stop to time.

Telling his dad would help, he knew that. But telling him now would ruin everything because there was no way his dad was going to let him go and fight. Stiles had to fight though. He had to do something to stop the horrible ache in his chest that told him people would get hurt trying to protect him. Scott had, Derek had, and so had his parents, taking all the pain on their shoulders to spare his innocence just that much longer.

When he got home, his dad was passed out at the dining table, papers and files scattered around him. Stiles grabbed the empty shot glass and bottle of whiskey and dumped the glass in the sink before tucking the whiskey away back in the cabinet. He shook his dad until the man woke up before darting up the stairs. He wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to anyone that didn't understand what he was feeling.

Then again, he wasn't sure anyone really could. He climbed into bed with his calculus textbook and homework, and he managed to knock out a few problems before exhaustion overwhelmed him and he fell asleep.

-.-

"So are you just going to pace or are you going to lecture me already?" Jackson asked from where he was stretched out on the couch.

Derek turned towards him. "You think I wanted to talk to you so I could lecture you?"  
"Yeah? It's all you ever do, isn't it?" Jackson said.

"That's not what this is about."

The front door opened and Scott entered, glancing between them.

"Dear God, is this an intervention?" Jackson asked. "You guys want to talk about my feelings don't you?"

"Could you maybe not act like you hate us?" Scott asked. "You've barely spoken to us since last night and  _seven_  people got killed in front of you."

"I thought that was the point," Jackson said. "You want the pack weak, so I helped make sure that happened."

"So then you're not bothered by what happened last night?" Scott asked.

"No, I'm not," Jackson said.

Derek's and Scott's eyebrows both raised at the same time.

"You realize we can hear your heartbeat right?" Derek asked.

"Whatever. I'm not talking to either of you about this so you can just forget it," Jackson said, moving towards the staircase.

Derek and Scott each grabbed one of his arms and hauled him back to the couch before taking a seat on either side of him.

"Okay fine, we won't smother you but only if you promise to tell us if it gets to be too much," Scott said.

"Especially if you start having a conflict of interest," Derek said.

"You think I'd betray you like that?" Jackson asked, jerking out of both of their grips and getting to his feet. "Look, I get I'm not your favorite person, but I'm not just going to sell you out to a pack of psychopaths."

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Scott said. "Jesus, Jackson, we've been over this. I don't hate you and neither does Derek. I don't know what else to do to prove that to you."

"You're spending a lot of time with them. And instead of going to us after last night you went to them," Derek said.

"That's what you-"

Derek held up a hand and Jackson held back his words with a low, cut off growl instead.

"That's what we told you to do, but I'm saying pack bonds can form in a short time, especially after something like that," Derek said. "So I'm saying if that starts to happen, tell us."

"So you can fix me?" Jackson asked, unable to clamp down on the bitter note in his voice.

"Yeah. We can't make them leave without fighting them off eventually. If you can't fight, I'm not going to want you anywhere near us," Derek said. "But obviously you don't want to hear this right now, so let me know when you're done shoving us all away."

Derek got to his feet and left, and Jackson clenched his jaw tight when he walked passed, fighting the urge to lash out. Of course that just left him with Scott and the obnoxiously sympathetic expression on his face.

"Jackson, I'm not doubting you okay? I know you can do this. But people  _died_  in front of you. People don't just walk away from that without feeling something," Scott said.

"Yeah well what if I said I don't feel a thing?" Jackson asked, stepping back towards Scott.

When he reached out and wrapped his hand around Jackson's wrist, Jackson almost pulled away. Then his eyes met Scott's, the soft orange glow of a werewolf that wasn't quite an Alpha, and not quite a beta either, and he didn't want to resist anymore. He  _wanted_  to be comforted, wanted help erasing the image of Aaron's glassy eyes above him, throwing his life for someone he'd just met. How unworthy he was of that sacrifice.

Slowly, Jackson let Scott pull him close. The anxiety and energy of the full moon hummed in his veins but as he pillowed his head in Scott's lap it began to fade to the back of his mind. Scott rubbed his scalp and neck and Jackson fell asleep to the soft scratch of nails through his hair.

-.-

Lydia fell asleep the moment Jackson left her room to talk to Derek. She didn't wake up until a hand gently shook her shoulder and she jolted upright, nearly head-butting Derek in the process. He caught her shoulders at the last second and she flopped forward against his shoulder with a groan.

"God, sorry. I need to stop falling asleep all the time," Lydia said. She pulled back and ran a hand through her hair, nose wrinkling when she felt the tangles.

"Well you did temporarily paralyze everyone around you," Derek said. He leaned over to turn on the lamp before sitting at the edge of her bed.

"So what are we going to do about me?" Lydia asked. "I mean I went home today to sleep but I can't avoid home forever even if Allison's dad is paranoid about me being hunted down."

"Do you think they'll come after you?" Derek asked.

"I doubt it. I'm hardly their top priority."

"And what about you? Are you okay?"

Lydia looked up at him, surprised at how concerned Derek looked. "Outside being exhausted I'm fine."

"I meant how do you feel? You weren't really on board with the whole not human thing earlier," Derek said.

"No, that's all fine I guess," Lydia said. "If anything, I'm just annoyed I don't know how to control it."

"And I can't really help. Teaching werewolves is one thing but I don't know how to train a banshee," Derek said.

Lydia kicked him through the comforter. "Don't look at me like that. You can't help everyone."

"But you're my pack. I can't help you, Jackson won't let me help him, I'm useless if I-"

"You and Jackson are way too alike, I  _swear_ ," Lydia said, kicking the covers off so she could move to sit next to Derek. "Honestly, all of you are. You're doing your best. I can handle myself, Derek, seriously. Don't worry about me."

It was weird having Derek worry about her anyways. He hadn't been that protective of her really, though she supposed having to deal with hunters and a new pack was the cause for it. Lydia sighed and rested her head on Derek's shoulder.

"I'm the last person you need to worry about," she said. "And for the record, trying to help Jackson is never going to work. Just leave that to everyone else."

"Yeah I'm starting to realize that," Derek said.

He shifted some of his weight towards her and wrapped an arm around her waist. His hand stroked up and down her back and she couldn't help the small smile the action drew from her.

"You know I didn't think you'd feel the need to scent me," Lydia said.

Derek stiffened and started to pull away but Lydia wrapped his arm around his waist to bring him back.

"I'm not bothered. I've actually wondered why you've never really given me the same attention," Lydia said. "And honestly, it makes me feel a lot better."

"It's the-"

"Pack bond, right, I know," Lydia said. "But that just seems so scientific, and while I'm all for science, I'm not a big fan of it ruining my personal relationships."

"Ruining your personal relationships?" Derek asked with a snort.

Lydia shifted to face him fully. "Well yeah. I don't want all my relationships to be reduced to a stupid pack bond." When Derek's eyebrows rose, she rolled her eyes back at him. "Okay so it isn't stupid. I'm just trying to say having you near me is nice and not just because of a pack bond."

Derek nodded. "Yeah. Sorry for talking about it so much. My mother, Talia...she always told me how important it was."

Lydia flopped back on the mattress. "You never talk about her. You really should though. If it isn't too hard."

For a moment, Lydia thought Derek was going to shift away. She didn't think he really talked with anyone but Isaac about his thoughts and feelings, but then he was stretching out beside her and tucking an arm beneath her neck. Lydia turned on her side so she could face him.

Derek reached out and pushed a few of the stray locks of tangled hair back and out of the way. "She's hard to talk about. But no one's ever really asked about her."

"Skip the sad bits. You look better when you smile anyways," Lydia said.

"Thought you said you wanted to get home soon," Derek said.

"Doesn't mean I can't listen to a few stories does it?"

Derek's smile was the barest twitch of his lips. "No. Guess not."

-.-

Boyd watched from the doorway as Erica carded her hands through Isaac's hair and gave him a very thorough goodbye kiss. It was well passed midnight, the pre-dawn light muffled by the trees and the clouds even with the curtains of Isaac's windows pulled back. The power of the full moon was beginning to drain away, which meant they were allowed to go if they wanted; Derek tended not to worry about their tempers after that.

Boyd glanced out of Isaac's room across the landing to where the guest room Lydia and Jackson often shared when they were over. He'd heard Lydia leave a few hours ago, but he could still sense Derek inside. Erica grabbed his hand after one more quick kiss for Isaac and then tugged Boyd out towards the stairs.

"Walk me home?" she asked as they descended.

"Always do."

Boyd paused when he reached the bottom of the stairs, exchanging a look with Erica when they saw Scott and Jackson curled together on the couch. Erica's lips crooked up into a smirk.

"Knew I smelled them on each other," Erica said.

"You're not mad at Jackson?" Boyd rubbed a thumb along her back.

"How can I be? He was right," Erica said with a shrug. "C'mon."

Boyd let her tug him out of the house and into the forest, trying to think of what he could say. He thought she'd been feeling better as the night went on, but there was an ache in her voice that he knew well. It was the ache that screamed of loneliness and worthlessness.

"Erica, if we...if we really thought you were doing something wrong, we'd have said something. You know we would have," Boyd said, wrapping an arm around her waist. But you're fine. You're not weak. You apologized and that's all you could do. All you  _needed_  to do."

Erica jerked away from him. "No, it's not that simple. What happens if this is the thing that gets one of us killed or-"

Boyd grabbed her by her shoulders. "That's not going to happen."

"Yeah? And what makes you so sure of that?"

"You guys. All of you. You'd never let anything happen to me, not like that." Boyd kissed her forehead and then her lips before pulling her into a tight hug. "You'll feel better tomorrow. Really."

"Tomorrow? School starts in four hours," Erica grumbled into his chest.

"Then all the more reason to get you home now, right?"

The rest of the walk home to Erica's was silent but Boyd could feel the tension draining out of her with every step they took. He wished there was a way to make her stop blaming herself so much. It'd be better once the threats were gone. He knew it would be. If the past summer had taught him anything it was that peace,  _contentment_ , all of that was actually possible.

Boyd left her with a kiss and then headed back into town towards his own house. He was lucky. In a few hours, Erica would fight with her parents just like she always did about how she'd been out all night. Boyd though, would return to silence, the inhabitants of his house unaware that he'd never come home.

"Lucky," he muttered.

He flinched when something sunk into the base of his neck. He scrabbled at his skin and yanked out a small dart. Before he could duck for cover, several more hit him, rapid fire. He made it a few more steps before his vision spun and he collapsed forward.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Derek try to find Peter, Allison and Isaac have an awkward bonding moment, and Lydia starts calling the shots.

"So where were you last night? You didn't even text," Olivia said, knocking her shoulder into Jackson's as she took a bite of too cold mac and cheese.

"Sorry. Got a bit distracted," Jackson said.

"Yeah, with your  _pack_ ," Olivia said. "Did you get attacked by the hunters?"

"No, but I did hear about Erica's freak out. Seems like they've attracted the hunters attention," Jackson said. "Any word on what Marisa wants us to do next?"

"On what  _she_  wants us to do?" Olivia snorted and stole a fry off of Jackson's tray. "It's my job. I get to deal with the Hale Pack now. Marisa said so last night."

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Okay and that means what exactly?"

"Marisa said I have to prove I'm ready to be an Alpha by handling the Hale Pack on my own," Olivia said. "Especially since her tactic hasn't been playing out as well as she thought."

"Her source was Peter, wasn't it?" Jackson asked.

Olivia went stiff beside him. "How did you know?"

"Well jeeze, it wasn't that hard," Jackson said with an eye roll. "Peter's a snake, and I'm pretty sure he's tried to kill all of us at least once. Makes sense that he'd try and fall in with a stronger pack."

"That's what  _you're_ trying to do," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow. "What makes you different?"

"Peter is a loner. He'll gravitate to a stronger pack but only until he can kill the Alpha and take over. That's all he's interested in," Jackson said.

Lydia had told him to shatter any trust the Casia Pack might've had in Peter if he turned out to be the other source and from Olivia's disgruntled expression, Jackson supposed he had succeeded. He finished off his food and tossed his napkin down on top of the tray.

"So what else can you tell me?" Olivia asked. "What's the Hale Pack planning to do with us?"

"Honestly, I've got no idea. They're too worried about what's going on between the two hunter families," Jackson said.

"We'll have to meet up after school then," Olivia said. "Discuss battle tactics. Hopefully the hunters will take a few of them out and make our job even easier."

"Yeah, hopefully."

 

-.-

 

"So..." Isaac glanced at Allison out of the corner of his eye as she turned her car on. "How are you?"

Allison rolled her eyes as she backed her car out of the parking space. "Could you sound  _any_  more uncomfortable?"  
"If I put enough effort in I'm sure I could manage," Isaac said. "So is it just us looking at the records?"

"Until my dad gets home, yeah," Allison said. "He'll probably be able to find stuff faster than we could, but we might as well try."

Isaac kept quiet most of the ride to Allison's. It was odd, and uncomfortable, being so close to all of her friends, her father even, and still having no idea what he could possibly say to her.

"How was Lydia?" Allison's words startled Isaac out of his aimless staring out the window.

"Okay I guess. You see her more than I do," Isaac said. "And you're her best friend. She probably tells you stuff she never tells us."

"But I'm not pack. Not really, right?"

Isaac looked over at her. "What makes you say that? I mean I'm not the most forthcoming guy in the world but I never meant to make you feel unwelcome."

"It's not just you though!" Allison's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "It's everyone and I feel like I'm losing my best friend and I'm trying to feel like I belong but I just don't and  _God_  this is not the time I need to be having this conversation with  _anyone_."

"Yeah especially since you just ran that red light."

Allison sucked a sharp breath in between her teeth. "Today is not my day."

"Look, Allison, we care about you. Seriously. We're werewolves, you're hunters. The fact that we work together and that one of our 'pack' or whatever is putting his life on the line for you should be enough proof that we freaking care about you," Isaac said, reaching out and grabbing Allison's wrist, hard.

Allison shifted into park when she pulled into her driveway, shrugging off Isaac in the process. "Sorry. I don't mean to make it seem like I don't appreciate everything you guys have done I just-"

Isaac grabbed her hand before she could smack it against the steering wheel. "Allison. It's  _going_ to be fine. No one's saying you're ungrateful."

Allison slumped back in her seat, squeezing Isaac's hand almost as an after thought. "I feel like I'm losing my best friend to all of you and I don't want to be left behind."

"Lydia isn't going anywhere without you," Isaac said. "Wanna know what she told me and Erica when we first started meeting up at the end of last year?"

He let go of her hand and after a moment, Allison gave a shaky nod.

"She said that she was worried  _you_  were going to leave. That if things got bad you'd hate her for joining us the way she did. I bet she still worries about it, especially now with all this Banshee stuff."

"I'd  _never_  hurt her. She has to know that," Allison said.

"You sure she knows that?" Isaac asked.

"Of course she does."

"Wouldn't hurt to make sure though, right?"

A small smile toyed at the edges of Allison's lips. "I guess not, no. Thanks."

"God, don't sound so surprised," Isaac said, nudging her shoulder before getting out of the car. "C'mon. Studying time."

Even though he'd spent a lot of time researching werewolves in the Argent's rather expansive library, Allison knew exactly where to start looking. For the most part, Isaac had stayed away from the journals of the hunters, not particularly interested in vivid details of how they had hunted down werewolves.

"My dad always stressed that I have to keep my own journal," Allison said. "We don't read them obviously, not until someone's...gone. But if Gerard or my mom knew something about the Council, this is where we'd find it."

Allison pulled out the most recent journals first. For a moment, she stared at them and then she passed them over to Isaac, a guarded look in her eyes. Isaac flipped the first open, wincing inwardly when he saw the name on the inside cover.

 _Victoria Argent_.

"I'll start with Gerard's if you take those," Allison said.

Isaac gave her a strained smile. "Yeah, sure."

He'd only met Allison's mom once when he'd been at the rave, although he wasn't sure that really counted. Meeting implied talking and he had only seen her from a distance as he'd fled with the others. Isaac shook himself out of the memories and turned his full attention to the journal.

It felt like an invasion of privacy and it didn't help that with every page, Victoria seemed more and more well...human. He didn't know her that well, but he'd seen what she was capable of, and he was about 90% sure she was the one to order his execution.

Isaac nearly dropped the journal when a choked sob escaped Allison. He scrambled to his feet and across the room to sit down beside where Allison had slumped against the wall. Her finger was jammed between two pages and carefully, Isaac pried it from her, keeping the place marked. Allison barely stirred. He opened it up, gaze hardening as he read.

_I've intercepted another letter from the Council today. They worry about Allison's potential. Apparently rumors of her relationship with one of those in the Hale Pack has reached their ears. I can only hope to drive her to eradicating the pack herself. That will be more than enough to win back their good graces and get us out of this god-forsaken town and on the front lines._

Isaac frowned and reread it again before glancing over at Allison. Her face was scrunched up, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she continued to cry and he reached out to wrap a hesitant arm around her shoulders.

"No offense or anything, but I don't get why this...upset you," Isaac said.

"Because t-this means he was just..." Alison curled up tighter on herself. "...trying to protect me. That's all he was doing."

"What the hell would give you that idea?" Isaac asked. "No matter what that journal says, that doesn't change the fact that Gerard manipulated the hell out of you  _and_  Scott."

"But it means he didn't want to hurt me. That changes everything, doesn't it?" Allison wiped at her eyes, still refusing to actually look at Isaac.

"No. It really doesn't and I'm sorry but just because someone didn't mean to hurt you doesn't mean they get an automatic pass," Isaac said. He rubbed his thumb over Allison's shoulder. "Look. Why don't you let me handle this studying and researching crap. You go talk to your dad. I just head him pull in and he's pretty good at talking about this sort of thing."

"Yeah..." Allison shifted away and then got to her feet. "Thanks, Isaac. I'll be down in a bit once I feel...not like this."

She walked away, squeezing Isaac's hand before heading upstairs. Isaac didn't move for a minute, but then he grabbed the other journals and settled in to read. He could at least take the burden off Allison and Chris by reading the journals of the recently departed. He supposed it was the least he could do.

 

-.-

 

Lydia grabbed her car keys off the counter and headed for the door, keen on getting to Allison's as soon as possible. When she opened the door though, Erica was just outside, hand raised as if she had been about to knock.

"Uh..." Erica shifted back and forth on her feet, arms crossing behind her back. "I need to talk to you."

Lydia couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. "Okay sure, but uh, why?"

"Boyd isn't at home. And he's still not answering his texts and he wasn't at school and..." Erica bit her lip and looked up at Lydia. "I let him walk home on his own last night. We left late and I guess we shouldn't have and I think maybe something happened to him."

"Okay, slow down a second." Lydia grabbed Erica's shoulder and then tugged her inside. "So Boyd's gone and we don't know where he is. What do you think happened?"

"The Grossmans maybe? They could still be trying to rile me up, I don't know," Erica said, her gaze turning down to the floor. "It's all my fault, whatever happened."

"Oh come on," Lydia said. "Don't be so dramatic. We'll find him."

"How?" Erica ripped away from Lydia only to stumble back against the door. "How are we going to find him, or save him? If he's with the Grossmans and we try and go after him they'll just come after us which is exactly what they want and-"

Lydia bit her lip as Erica shoved passed her to pace the length of Lydia's kitchen. She'd seen Erica riled plenty of times before but this was different. Erica wasn't usually afraid. Lydia knew that usually people turned to her when they were looking for a fearless leader, but when Lydia was afraid, she'd often looked to Erica. But more and more people were looking to her, and more and more, Erica was starting to do the same.

After a moment, Lydia took a deep breath, trying to get her mind to stop freaking out and actually function. "Okay you...you should go and scope out the Grossman's to see if he's actually there, and be careful. I'll go talk to Stiles and Danny."

"And that's going to help how exactly?" Erica asked, pausing in her frantic pacing to look at Lydia.

"You said it yourself okay? If the Grossmans  _did_  take him, it's not like we could just barge in and rescue him. At least you can't," Lydia said. "But Stiles, Danny, and I could."

"Don't be stupid, you'll get yourselves killed," Erica said, stepping forward and grabbing Lydia's hands. "I can't lose you guys too."

"Oh trust me, we won't be going in guns blazing. I prefer a more subtle approach that won't end up in us dying. But first we have to actually see if he's there. Can you handle that?"

Erica nodded. "Yeah. I'll be able to handle it."

"Promise to not do anything without us?" Lydia asked.

"I'll pinky swear if that would make you feel better," Erica said, the smallest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Lydia hugged her tight and then kissed her forehead before smoothing down her blonde hair. "Don't worry. I'm not going to let anything bad happen."

Erica nodded and pulled away. She was out the door before Lydia could say anything else. Lydia hadn't been sure Erica would listen to her or accept her orders so readily, but the fact that Erica bothered to come to her first before charging off on her own had to mean something.

Of course that didn't make her feel any better about Boyd's sudden disappearance. She also wasn't too keen on having anyone come to her for how to handle potentially life or death situations, but she supposed she was the best equipped to handle it outside Chris or Derek.

Lydia took a moment to compose herself in her car before heading off to Deaton's. It was all becoming too much. The night before, curled up along Derek's warmth, she'd felt content and safe but now? The harsh light of day, the prying eyes of her enemies at her back, it all made the real trouble shift back to the fore front in a way she couldn't ignore.

When she arrived at Deaton's, Danny was behind the counter. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're a vet now, huh?"

"At least until this hunter conflict blows over," Danny said with a short and strained laugh. "Deaton said he wants to put all of his focus into training Stiles for now which makes sense but..." He frowned and tilted his head to the side. "Why are you here anyways? Not that I mind the company."

"Boyd's missing. Erica is looking but if the Grossmans have him, we're going to be the ones to get him out," Lydia said.

"The mostly human trio against trained hunters? What could go wrong?" Danny sighed and then held open the gate for Lydia to step through. "But seriously, please tell me there's an actual plan."

"I'm working on it still. I'm hoping Deaton and Stiles will help," Lydia said.

"I'll go grab them."

Danny headed into the back and Lydia hopped up onto the edge of the counter to wait. Not long after, there was the sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs and then Stiles rounded the corner of the hall. He was drenched in sweat and there was a fresh bruise blossoming over the right side of his jaw.

"Training get a bit rough?" Lydia asked, reaching out and trailing her fingers along Stiles' jaw.

"Yeah, Deaton's really good at beating me with a stick," Stiles said.

"Easiest way to make you learn," Deaton said. The man was still wearing his usual dress shirt and slacks and didn't look at all like he'd broken a sweat. "What can we help you with Lydia?"

Lydia's phone buzzed and she tugged it out to read the text. "Well, Erica's just confirmed she's found Boyd's scent around the Grossman's house and he's been missing all day. I think that pretty much explains itself, doesn't it?"

Deaton raised his eyebrows. "Ah. I see. I assume you want to take Stiles and Danny with you to go get him out because then they'll have no ground to stand on with the Council when they thought they'd be able to get the pack to attack first. Smart."

"Thanks." Lydia flashed a smile.

"Not well thought out though. If they catch you, there's no guarantee they won't fight back, human or not," Deaton said.

"That's why we'll be ready to call the police," Lydia said.

"We are  _not_  dragging my dad into this," Stiles said.

"I know. I'm just hoping the threat of calling the police will help us out if they do catch us," Lydia said. "Though I'm hoping we won't get caught at all. You can still pick locks, right Danny?"

"Yeah but the Grossmans will probably have a security system. I'll need a bit of extra time for that," Danny said.

"I have my hands full of delinquents don't I?" Deaton asked, glancing between them.

"Yeah because you always obey the law so well," Stiles said. "Whatever, let's just go do this."

"Wait," Deaton said. "I'll give their house a call and see if they're there so you at least know what you're getting into."

"Text us on the way," Stiles said. "Let's go make ourselves useful."

 

-.-

 

Scott closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could smell blood and death and the hair of police dogs at the site of the hunter and pack confrontation, but under it, nothing else. Shaking his head, he looked back at Derek.

"Sorry I can't smell him at all. You?"

Derek shook his head. "Jackson is sure Peter's hanging around right?"

"Yeah," Scott said. "That's what Olivia said."

"Well we've been combing this entire damn forest and I'm not even getting a hint of him," Derek said. "We might as well just head back. This is a dead end."

"Peter is a show off-y type of guy," Scott said, trailing after Derek as the other began to head away. "Maybe he'll show up at the house to gloat."

"Yeah, maybe."

Scott grabbed Derek's shoulder. "Look, it's not exactly like we were expecting this to pan out right?"

"I guess not. It's just hard to believe that Peter would go this far," Derek said. He shrugged out of Scott's grip and headed back for the house. Scott jogged to catch up with him, glancing at Derek out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know what Peter was like before...everything, but he's killed people Derek. You can't think of him like he's-"

"Family?"

Scott winced. "Not necessarily. I was going to say not to think of him as a good person but..." He shrugged helplessly.

"I know he's a lost cause. I just don't look forward to killing him again once we finally find him."

Scott almost stopped where he was, the anger and bitterness in Derek's voice making his gut twist. He swung around in front of Derek, stopping the Alpha by grabbing his shoulders.

"We won't kill him if we can avoid it Derek. You know that."

"If we can avoid it?"

"Well it's not like Peter's exactly known for easing up," Scott said. "I'm sorry Derek, I wish he...hadn't tried to do this."

Derek grabbed Scott's hands and pushed him back. "It's fine. Let's just get back home."

 

-.-

 

Danny tested the door handle before kneeling down and pulling out his lock picks.

"Why can't they be irresponsible and forget to lock their back door?" Stiles asked.

"Because most people aren't like you," Danny said, grinning when Stiles kicked at his foot.

"Stop bantering and hurry up. Who knows when they'll be back," Lydia said.

The door clicked open and Danny darted inside, unscrewing the cover of the electronic lock system to reveal a mess of wires. "You two go check the house while I deal with this."

"I'll take the basement," Stiles said, rushing down the hall and checking a few doors for the stairs down.

Lydia nodded and continued on down the hall. Stiles found the basement door and headed down, flicking on the light using his arm to avoid fingerprints. No doubt the Grossmans would realize they'd been there and Danny was wearing gloves of his own while he dealt with the security. Stiles glanced around the basement, a rather small room for the size of the house. There were racks of weapons, guns and crossbows and a few broad swords but otherwise, it was empty.

Frowning, Stiles turned back towards the stairs only to have Lydia and Danny appear at the top and rush downstairs, slamming the door shut behind them. "What's wrong?" Stiles asked.

"They're home," Danny said. "I barely managed to put their security system back together, though I didn't get that far in disabling it anyways. We need to get out of here."

"Did you find Boyd upstairs?" Stiles asked, backing up towards one of the small basement windows.

"No, I managed to check most of the rooms. I don't know where else they could put him. Erica said she could smell him around the basement windows," Lydia said.

Stiles shoved the window open and then cupped his hands to give Lydia a boost. She crawled through the narrow window as fast as she could and Danny quickly followed after her. They both reached down to help Stiles out and once he was free, he kicked the window shut behind him.

"Okay now how the hell do we get out of their yard without being seen?" Lydia hissed.

"Stay below the windows and head for the street," Danny said. "If we can get passed the garage we can get to the sidewalk without looking too suspicious."

Stiles swallowed hard, trying to calm his heartbeat enough so he could move without his legs shaking. He didn't think he'd ever be afraid of someone as much as he had been of the Alpha Pack, but he hadn't exactly been in the direct line of fire when it came to them. This was different.

Danny moved first, peering around the edge of the house to look at the garage before waving them forward. They darted up to meet Danny with Stiles bringing up the rear. Stiles moved up a bit to peek in the garage window, watching as the garage door shut.

"We're clear, just go," Stiles said.

They straightened and raced down the front lawn to the sidewalk. Stiles didn't stop glancing over his shoulder until they were safely in Lydia's car and around the corner. He caught Danny's eyes in the rearview mirror and offered a shaky smile.

 

-.-

 

"Wait walk me through exactly what you did again so I know just how pissed I should be," Derek said.

"It wasn't  _that_  bad," Stiles said.

Stiles, Lydia, and Danny sat on the couch in the living room, mostly scared into their seats by the anger in Derek's glowing eyes. Scott hung back behind him, his expression wary as he glanced between them.

"Don't yell at them. I'm the one that dragged them along," Lydia said.

"Oh so you would've just gone on your own, that's comforting," Derek said.

"We didn't get caught, who cares?" Stiles asked.

"They're  _hunters_!"

"We were safe," Lydia said, getting to her feet and stepping towards him. "Besides, shouldn't you be more concerned about the fact that Boyd is missing?"

Derek's eyes widened fractionally, the glow fading away at Lydia's objection. Before Derek could respond though, the door opened and Erica slid into the living room, head bowed.

"It's my fault. You guys shouldn't be fighting about it," Erica said. "I thought I scented Boyd there but I guess I was wrong if you couldn't find him."

Scott frowned. "You wouldn't make that mistake. We just have to figure out why his scent was there when he wasn't."

"We aren't focusing on that right now," Derek bit out.

Erica arched out of her slouched position, fist snapping out and catching Derek's jaw before Lydia and Scott could move between them.

"Don't you say that!" Erica shouted, straining against the grip Lydia had on her shoulders. "Don't you say that he's not what we should be focusing on right now!"

Lydia nearly stumbled forward when Erica jerked back, glaring at each of them in turn.

"It's not like any of you really noticed, right? I didn't hear any of you fucking mention it when he didn't show up at lunch," she said. "He's just as invisible to you all now as he was when he wasn't a part of the pack. You only see him when he's useful to you, not when it matters."

"Erica, that's not true," Lydia said, stepping forward again and grabbing her hands.

"No, don't touch me," Erica snapped. She tried to pull away, but it was just a half-hearted attempt. "You only bother looking for him when it's convenient don't you? And it's not worth it right now because you're all worried about something else and-"

"Of course, you're right, that's why the three of us risked our lives and broke into their house, isn't it?" Lydia demanded. "We only went when it was easy for us, not immediately after you came and expressed your concern to me, right?"

Erica held her gaze, defiant and angry, for a few heated seconds before deflating and crumpling forward into Lydia's arms. "God I'm sorry. I just...I want him back and I want him safe."

"We all do," Lydia said, rubbing her back. She glanced over her shoulder, glowering at Derek. "In fact, that's our first priority. Everything else can wait."

Derek opened his mouth but then Scott nudged him and it clicked shut. Lydia turned her attention back to Erica, walking her back towards the couch. Danny and Stiles shifted to allow Erica to curl up on the couch, head on Lydia's lap.

"So what now?" Stiles asked, voice quiet. "Did you find Peter?"

"Does it look like we have?" Derek asked.

"Okay let's stop before we start fighting again," Scott said. "I'll go check on Isaac and the Argents to see if they've come up with anything on this Champion fight to the death thing. That's all we can really do now, isn't it?"

"I'll see if I can dig something up on the Casia Pack," Derek said. "The rest of you can do whatever you want, not that you'd listen to me even if I told you to do something else."

He left the room before anyone could say another word. Lydia looked over at Stiles and Danny as she continued to pet Erica's hair, trying to ignore the wetness of the tears she could feel hitting her leg.

"You should get some ice on that before your dad gets home," she said, gesturing to the bruise.

Stiles got to his feet. "Yeah, I will. Want a ride home Danny?"

"Yeah sure," Danny said. He awkwardly patted Erica's head before following Stiles out.

Scott sat down next to Lydia, grabbing Erica's legs and swinging them up onto his lap. "We're going to find him, Erica. Don't worry."

Erica's only response was to grip Lydia's leg harder.

 

-.-

 

Boyd rested his head back against the concrete wall, rubbing at the duct tape over his mouth with his upper arm as best he could. He knew it was a futile effort. He'd been trying to get it off all day to no avail. The lack of food wasn't very helpful either, because his captor didn't seem too interested in taking the tape off for any reason.

The door opened and two sets of footsteps headed down the stairs. A moment later, the brightness of the fluorescent lights overhead had Boyd squeezing his eyes shut. A foot drove into his ribs and he opened his eyes back up in a flash, glowering up at his attacker before growling, low in his throat.

"Oh come on, you're not that powerful. If you were you would've broken the chains already. Now be a good puppy so I can actually feed you. No howling now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek reveals why he's so reluctant to look for Boyd, Lydia realizes she's a little gay, and Stiles finally breaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter moves a BIT slow but that's cuz I'm getting everything in place for the next few chapters which should move very quickly. Calm before the storm and all that haha

Isaac flopped down onto the couch face first.

"No luck then?" Derek asked.

"More like too  _much_  luck. There was too much to sort through in one sitting," Isaac said, rolling onto his back so he could look at Derek who was hovering by the archway leading to the kitchen. "Any particular reason for the bummed out expression or is it just due to general suck?"

"Boyd's missing," Derek said.

"So what are you doing here? Shouldn't we be looking? And you know, putting out a missing persons report?"

"It would attract too much attention and put the police at too much of a risk. Besides, there's only so many people who'd want to take him," Derek said. "Scott and I decided to start looking once you got back. Or maybe tomorrow."

"You could've called," Isaac said, getting to his feet. "I would've come straight here."

"Which is exactly why I didn't call," Derek said. "Finding out as much as we can from the Argent's library is more important than-"

"Than what? Finding Boyd? How the hell does that make sense?" Isaac asked. He looked Derek up and down, trying to read something,  _anything_  in Derek's posture, but the Alpha was a blank slate. "Did I miss something?"

Derek shifted, gaze dropping. "A bit, yeah. Before Scott went home he figured it out. Who probably took Boyd I mean."

"Okay, and?"

"Boyd's scent was put deliberately at the Grossmans, so whoever took him was hoping Erica's anger would get the better of her and she would attack," Derek said.

"So it's probably the Casia Pack right?"

Derek shook his head. "We already talked to Jackson. There's no mention of Boyd on their end, and they're still trying to figure out how to make us attack the Grossmans. As far as Scott and I can tell, the only loose cannon left is Peter."

"Why though? What motivation could he have to make us fight the Grossmans?"

"I don't know. I'm sure he's got a lot of plans and we won't have any way of knowing until it starts playing out," Derek said.

"So you're hesitating because of Peter?"

A desperate light entered Derek's eyes. "He's family, Isaac."

"Then what does that make us? We fall below Peter? Really?"

"No, of course not," Derek said.

"Then why?"

"Because I can't kill him again!"

Isaac wanted to say Derek was being stupid, but then, he hadn't really cried about his dad. He loved an image of his dad, the old version of his dad, sure. He supposed that was how it was for Derek too. From what Derek had bothered to reveal about his past, Isaac supposed Derek was doing the same thing Isaac had done, projecting a better image of Peter to cover how much the betrayal hurt.

"So you won't," Isaac said. "There's a reason you have a pack, Derek, and it's because sometimes we have to do the things you can't. I'm not saying Peter is going to die but if he comes after us, we'll have to defend ourselves eventually."

Derek turned away from him, heading back towards the stairs. "I know that Isaac, okay? I know. That doesn't make it any easier though."

Isaac followed after him, grabbing Derek's shoulder tight and squeezing it. "Whatever, it doesn't matter right now, okay? We just need to find Boyd. Maybe it isn't actually Peter. I mean, Jackson's still pretty new to the Casia Pack, I doubt they'd let him know everything they're planning. But the more we sit around and wait the worse off Boyd is."

"So what do we do?" Derek's shoulders were slumped, defeated, and it'd been a long while since Isaac had heard him sound so lost.

"I say tonight we try and get ourselves back together. Tomorrow is the weekend, so we'll have two days to try and find Boyd, and we're no good to him if we can't get  _some_  sleep," Isaac said quietly. "Can we just go to bed? Please?"

Derek's nod was so small Isaac almost didn't notice it. He followed Derek up the stairs and into his room before moving in to the bathroom to start running the bath.

"You need to relax," Isaac said. "The sooner that happens, the better you'll feel."

Derek's smile wasn't very believable, but it was something.

 

-.-

 

"So where are you going after this?" Danny asked.

"Probably back to Deaton's. A little more training couldn't hurt," Stiles said as he pulled into Danny's driveway.

"Or you could  _not_  do that," Danny said.

Stiles glanced over at him. "Three months Danny. Three months to learn how to not die a horrible death in front of a whole bunch of medieval old dudes."

"Yeah but it's also Friday night and Jackson is with that other pack and I'd rather not be left alone to think about how we're all probably going to die."

Stiles pulled the key out of the ignition. "You're guilting me, aren't you?"

"Not exactly."

"Whatever, let's go hang out or whatever kids these days do," Stiles said.

"I was honestly expecting a bit more resistance out of you, but okay," Danny said.

He led the way up to the front of his house, fumbling with the keys until they fell out of his hands. Stiles ducked down and picked them back up, picking out the house key.

"Bit of a case of shaky hands there huh?" Stiles opened the door. "So why did we let you pick locks?"  
"Because you'd fail epically at it. Lydia might have a chance though," Danny said, giving Stiles a somewhat strained grin as he threw his bag on the floor and turned on the living room light.

"No parents?" Stiles asked.

"Not for another week. They went on their anniversary honeymoon to 'rediscover' themselves," Danny said. "My sister's staying with my Grandma while they're gone."

Stiles followed after Danny to the kitchen, hovering by an island counter while the other pulled out a soda. "What, they don't trust big brother to take care of her?"  
Danny straightened and shrugged. "Basically, yeah. I mean I haven't been the world's most responsible teen since all this started happening."

"Yeah. Fuck. I didn't even think. We've  _really_  fucked things up for you," Stiles said, rubbing a hand over his face. "I mean...you're the one with an actual family and a sister and a life outside of this crap and we just dragged you in and ruined it."

"Okay, Stiles? I don't know if you know this, but your family is an actual family too," Danny said. "Single parent or not man. Family is family. Just because I have both my parents and a sibling and the white picket fence or whatever doesn't mean I'm losing something you aren't. You said it's hard keeping everything from your dad and that's because you know, you love him, just as much as I love my parents."

Stiles gave a short nod. "I guess you're right, yeah..."

"Besides, it sucked being in the dark. I always knew something was up but no one would ever tell me anything. This is better. Even with the almost dying," Danny said. "That being said, I'm still entitled to freaking out."

"Yeah I think that's acceptable," Stiles agreed.

"Although I do have one question before I turn my brain off completely to anything remotely supernatural," Dann said, leaning over the counter.

"Okay, that's fine I guess, though if you could not look at me like this is about to be an intervention that would be great," Stiles said.

"Sorry, I'm just worried," Danny said. "This whole training thing with Deaton. You seem a little too...I don't know,  _driven_  by this. I don't really get why though. I mean I like Allison too but this isn't really a pack thing so why risk your life over their honor or whatever?"  
"Because if they're forced to leave, we won't have anyone else on our side," Stiles said. "And it's a way to get the Grossman's out of here without anyone dying, which is something I'd like to avoid if we can."

"Unless you end up dying trying."

"Yeah well that's why I'm training, To avoid the whole death thing," Stiles said. "What's with all the worry now anyways?"  
"I don't know if you noticed but we  _ran_  today," Danny said. He moved around the counter to close the distance between them, his gaze searching. "Stiles, we didn't even think about fighting when the Grossmans came home. It's not in our nature."

"Speak for yourself," Stiles said.

"You bench for the lacrosse team Stiles. You're not a fighter and if you end up doing this, you're going to get killed," Danny said.

"This really is an intervention, isn't it?"

"Stiles, I'm serious-"

"Okay, not to send horribly cliché, but Danny you don't even know me let alone what I'm capable of. Hell, your entire attitude towards me until this whole pack thing was shit. You never put stock in anything I did or said so don't try and tell me what I'm capable of," Stiles said, unable to keep the biting anger out of his voice.

Danny took a step back. "What, you actually expected me to take you seriously before? I thought you were joking about all that 'am I attractive' crap."

"That's just it Danny. You thought I was joking. Everyone always thinks that. They think that's the only side I have. I'm sick of being underestimated all the time. It sucks, okay? So don't try and tell me you  _know_  me because you don't."

Stiles sucked in a deep breath and turned to grab the counter, white-knuckling the edge of it as he bowed his head. Danny didn't say a word, so for a long while, the only sound was Stiles trying to get his breathing back under control. He regretted yelling at Danny, a little bit at least. He definitely meant everything he said, but he wasn't sure Danny deserved the brunt of his anger.

Stiles sunk down to his elbows against the counter, burying his fingers in his hair. Danny's hand settled in the middle of Stiles' back before rubbing up and down. Just that small act of acceptance made Stiles deflate completely.

"Sorry. For assuming I knew that much about you. You're right that I...don't," Danny said, voice hushed.

"Sorry for yelling at you," Stiles mumbled. "But...you're sort of right. I'm not prepared for this. And it's not just me being righteous and putting my life on the line for the welfare of the pack or whatever."

Stiles turned to look at Danny and Danny bit his lip, his gaze suddenly unsure, as if he didn't want to hear what Stiles real reason was.

"What is it then?" Danny asked, his words still somewhat strained. "Why are you doing this if it's not for everyone else?"

"Because I've got to fight back against the total suck that this fucked up sort of life keeps piling up in front o f me. I'm sick of feeling like I don't have a choice in how any of this plays out," Stiles said, finally bringing himself to really meet Danny's eyes. "This is the only thing I can do to make sure something goes our way."

"So I can't change your mind then. I can accept that," Danny said. "I just...I guess I needed to hear why you were really doing it to be okay with you doing this, not that you really need my permission or anything." Danny rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'll do what I can to help, if you'll have me."

"Of course I will. I mean it's pretty hard to keep fighting if everyone keeps trying to make me stop," Stiles said with a tentative grin. "But can we just not talk about all this death stuff anymore? I kind of want to relax and not spend all my free time freaking out."

"Yeah, yeah that's fine. I've got an impressive collection of Disney movies to de-stress to."

"Of course you would."

Danny grabbed Stiles' hand and tugged him into the living room. Throughout three movies, Stiles noticed Danny never let go of his hand. By the fourth, Stiles fell asleep.

 

-.-

 

"You're absolutely insane," Allison said.

The microwave beeped and she pulled out three mugs of hot chocolate to set on the tray Lydia had pulled out.

"No one died and honestly, are they really going to be that surprised that someone broke in?" Lydia asked.

"My dad's going to be pissed."

"Why? Stiles, Danny, and I don't officially belong to any group they can attack. The Grossman's can't claim you did anything hostile," Lydia said. "Or did you mean he'd be pissed about the werewolf upstairs?"

"Both. He's never been the biggest fan of Erica. She's a bit violent," Allison said.

"Well he'll be gone at the store for at least another twenty minutes," Lydia said. "And when he does get that 'I'm angry but refuse to yell' expression on his face we'll just mention how she didn't go off on her own and attack the Grossmans. I'll take these upstairs. You grab the movies."

Allison rolled her eyes and left the kitchen. Lydia grabbed the tray and headed upstairs, bumping Allison's bedroom door open with her hip and then flicking the light on. Erica was curled up by the headboard in one of Boyd's large shirts and a pair of Lydia's sweats, her eyes still rimmed in red from crying.

"I come bearing hot chocolate," Lydia said, handing a her a mug before setting the other two on either side of the bed on the night stands. "And I called your mom to let her know you're staying here. Allison's bringing movies. Did I miss anything?"

Erica's smile was watery but it was something. "No, seems like you've covered it all."

"Good." Lydia climbed up onto the bed beside her.

Erica almost immediately curled up against her, barely stirring when Allison arrived with a portable DVD player and a small stack of DVDs.

"I've got comedy, action, romance and actually a few documentaries," Allison said. She plopped the DVD player on Erica's lap before climbing up on the bed on the other side of her. "Your pick."

"Something funny, I don't care."  
Allison loaded up Zombieland and then wrapped an arm around Erica's shoulders, linking over the arm Lydia had already slung around Erica. Lydia could feel Erica relaxing as the movie played and she sucked down her drink. She knew Derek's words and his dismissal of Boyd's disappearance had riled up and hurt Erica, and as worried as Lydia was, she also knew that she needed to be Erica's rock more than before.

It was obvious how much damage the rejection of her opinion by her Alpha had done. Lydia found though, that it was easier to be the strong one for Erica when she had Allison beside her.

"Your dad's home," Erica said. "If you wanna explain why I'm here."

Allison groaned and pulled out of their warm huddle. "I'll be right back, don't watch anymore without me."

Erica hit the pause button and snuggled closer to Lydia to make up for the lack of warmth. Lydia ran a hand through Erica's hair, straining her ears to see if she could hear Allison and her dad.

"What's the point of being some supernatural being if you can't even eavesdrop on people?" Lydia asked.

"I mean you  _do_  get to paralyze people with your voice. Maybe it's a trade off," Erica said with a sleepy shrug. Erica pushed herself up so she could look Lydia in the eyes. "I just wanted to say, by the way, because I'm usually pretty bad at this sort of thing, that uh...thank you. For standing up for me and you know, stop me from thinking none of you cared about Boyd."

"Of course we care about Boyd," Lydia said, reaching up and rubbing her thumb over Erica's jaw. "And you. We just have to be careful or we'll be useless trying to help him."

"I know. It's just hard feeling like I'm messing everything up all the time." Erica pressed her forehead to Lydia's, eyes closing as her shoulders went slack.

Lydia squeezed Erica's shoulders and then rubbed her hands up and down the other's arms. "It's fine. Really. No one who matters is mad at you okay?"

She leaned forward and kissed Erica once on the lips. For a moment, Erica went tense but then she was pressing closer, arms wrapping around Lydia's neck. Lydia wasn't quite sure what had possessed her to kiss the other, but she couldn't really complain, especially since she could practically feel Erica's contentment at the physical affection.

After a moment, Erica pulled back and buried her face in Lydia's neck, shoulders shaking as a few tears leaked out of her eyes.

"This isn't because I kissed you is it?" Lydia asked.

Erica's short laugh was thick with tears. "No, definitely not. Just. Everything else. The kiss was nice."

"Good because I've never done that with a girl before, it just seemed like something you needed," Lydia said.

Erica pulled back a bit but Lydia kept her arms wrapped around her middle. "Well it was fine. And I've had more experience with this sort of thing so you can trust me judgment."

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Okay Queen Bee. I just like seeing you smile, even if things aren't quite going our way."

"Easier to smile with you around. I know you'll do what you can to keep everyone safe. I know Derek would too, normally anyways," Erica said, nose wrinkling.

"Hopefully Isaac or Scott can make him see straight," Lydia said. "And if not."

"You will?" Erica raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly."

 

-.-

 

Allison put the last jug of milk away in the fridge and finally turned to face her dad head on. "Okay, there aren't anymore groceries to distract us so let's hear how angry you are about what Lydia did. If you yell loud enough I'm sure Erica will hear you and pass the message on."

Chris' jaw unclenched and he looked down, shaking his head. "Allison, I have a right to be angry. They could've jeopardized everything."

"Well what were they supposed to do? Just leave it and not investigate?" Allison asked. "Dad, they got along just fine without our help before, so don't get mad at Lydia for following her gut instinct."

Chris still didn't look up at her, fingers tapping along the counter top. "Okay. But they need to be careful and so do you. You're all still kids."

Allison swallowed thickly. "No we're not Dad. None of us have been in a long time."

"I know. But I can't let you grow up too fast." Chris turned and headed back towards the living room. "I'm going to sort through what Isaac found last night."

"Dad-"

He left before she could say anymore. Allison sucked in a huge breath and then turned towards the stairs, wanting desperately to forget what was happening and watch campy comedy movies with Lydia and Erica.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, frowning at the unfamiliar number. "Hello?"

"Allison? It's Logan. Please don't hang up."

"How the  _hell_  did you get this number?" she hissed.

"Piper is pretty good at hacking school records and she usually keeps her mouth shut about my weird requests-"

"Wait,  _what_?"

"Look, I want to help. Can we please just meet up and talk? And if you still want to punch me after that's entirely okay," Logan said. "Please?"

"God, don't beg, it makes you sound pathetic." Allison paused, reigning in her irritation. "Sorry. When do you want to talk?"

"I don't know. A few hours, say one?"  
"So you want me to sneak out to meet you? You do realize this isn't Romeo and Juliet right?"

"Allison-"

"Okay, fine whatever. I'll text you where to meet me."

She hung up before Logan could say anything else. She looked towards the living room, some part of her wanting to go to her father and ask him for help and his advice on what she should do. But then she turned and headed up the stairs. She could do this on her own.

When she opened the door, Erica and Lydia were almost exactly where they had been before, only now Erica was curled up in Lydia's lap. A pang of  _something_  flashed through Allison's gut when she saw the love in Lydia's eyes as she looked down at Erica, but she shoved it aside.

"So...slight change in plans," Allison said. "Logan just called."

"Can we kill him?" Erica asked, sliding off Lydia's lap. At Allison's raised eyebrow, she huffed out a sigh. "Kidding."

"I told you this whole making him fall for you thing would work in our favor," Lydia said.

"I barely even did anything. Anyways, not the point. Where should I meet him?"

"Somewhere we know better than him," Lydia said.

"We? Only I'm going," Allison said.

"Yeah, no, that's not happening," Lydia said.

"What about the train depot where Derek used to live?" Erica asked. "I know it like the back of my hand. We can go there before he does and make sure he doesn't try anything. And you know, stay out of sight so we don't start a fight or something."

Lydia nodded. "Sounds good to me. Allison?"

"Fine, you can come. But we have to sneak out after my dad goes to sleep," Allison said. "He's not too pleased with us as it is."

"And when will your dad go to sleep?"

Allison shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

 

-.-

 

When Stiles woke it was to the sound and smell of Danny making soup in the kitchen. The bruise on his cheek was beginning to ache and he briefly wondered how pissed his dad was going to be when he refused to tell him how he got it. He pushed the worry away and sat up, shoving the blanket off and stretching.

Yawning, he got to his feet and padded into the kitchen. Danny turned to look at him as he stirred the soup.

"Welcome to the world of the living," Danny said. "You fell asleep during Fox and the Hound. That's like, a crime against Disney fans everywhere."

"The end makes me sad so good thing I did fall asleep otherwise I would've cried all over you," Stiles said. "Is some of that for me?"

"Sure. I was gonna leave you some even if you didn't wake up," Danny said.

"That's sweet of you. How are you so nice when you're friends with such douchebags?"

"Stiles, I'm friends with you."

"Okay, yes, but you're friends with Jackson too. And  _Greenberg_. Greenberg is like the king of douchebags now that Jackson is actually sometimes nice," Stiles said.

"Yeah but he's my only human friend left so he doesn't count."

"I'm human."

"You could probably kill people with a staff Stiles," Danny said.

"Not yet, that's a work in progress." Stiles winced at how strained the humor in his voice was.

He didn't like talking about it; how he sometimes felt not quite human. The mountain ash thing had been pretty cool, but when he thought about what it could mean it made his gut twist. He supposed the training with Deaton could've made him feel more human, as long as he didn't have to think too hard about what it would enable him to do.

What he would have to do if the whole death match thing really  _did_  become a death match.

"Stiles? You okay?"

Stiles looked up. "What? Yeah. Sorry, did I zone out?"

"Yeah, a bit." Danny handed him a bowl of still steaming soup. "Enjoy. It may be straight from a can but it's delicious."

"I'm not complaining."

Stiles took a seat on one of the barstools at the counter and began to eat, his hunger suddenly overwhelming. They ate in silence, and the uncomfortable feeling in Stiles' chest continued to grow. He remained sitting as Danny cleaned the dishes, trying to shove the feeling down and away but no matter how hard he pushed, it stayed.

"Okay, Stiles, seriously, what's wrong? You look like you're about to explode," Danny said.

"Jesus, Danny stop asking. You don't really care."

"Are we really doing this again?"

"Yes! Because you're only pretending to care because I'm the only one that can even fathom what it's like to have your best friend turn into a freaking werewolf," Stiles said. "I'm convenient-"

"No, stop right there. We're sorting this out right the fuck now," Danny said. "You sound like Erica and you're so far off from the truth."

"Then go ahead Danny. Convince me how wrong I am," Stiles said.

"Okay, well first off, yes, you're right, I only started really taking you seriously recently because you've never given me a reason to before this," Danny said. "But now I'm getting to know you and I know that there's more to you than sarcasm and constant deflecting anytime someone asks you a question. So yeah. I care now more than I did. I'm not going to lie that a few months ago I wouldn't care all that much about your problems."

"Danny-"

"I'm not finished talking. I care now and just because I didn't before doesn't make that mean any less, so when I ask what's wrong, I'm asking so I can help." Danny turned back towards the sink. "Okay, now I'm done."

Stiles stared at Danny's back, trying to put his thoughts into words. "Uh...Danny...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed I knew what you thought."

"I'm not mad." Danny dried one of the bowls and put it on the counter. "I just want to help and you won't let me because you don't take  _me_  seriously."

"Shit. Projection much on my part huh?"

"Yeah, definitely," Danny said. "So. We good? For real this time?"

"Yeah, we're good," Stiles said. He looked down at the floor. "Sorry."

"It's fine. You wanna tell me what's really wrong then?"

"Not really but I guess I should," Stiles said, offering Danny a tentative grin as he looked up.

"Yeah probably."

Stiles tried to put it into words, the fear that was coiled up within him, but he ended up just staring at Danny a little helplessly.

"Sorry," Stiles said. "I just...I'm scared Danny."

Danny moved to stand in front of Stiles, setting warm and steadying hands on Stiles' shoulders in an attempt to root him in reality. "Afraid of what Stiles?"

"Dying? Actually worse than that. Dying is whatever, everyone dies and I've always known the chances of me going out in a happy, non-violent way were never very high, so you know, whatever it doesn't bug me that much but..." Stiles cut himself off, trying to reign himself in so he didn't end up babbling. "I'm more afraid of what I might do."

"You're not a bad person, Stiles, and you don't have any angry werewolf hormones telling you to kill people. What's there to be afraid of?"

Stiles' shrugged out of Danny's grip and turned away, burying his hands in his hair and tugging like it would help him talk, like it would help the words come out. "Because I don't know what I'll do when I'm fighting for my life. Scott's never killed anyone but Isaac has. Isaac is like me. We're not good and moral like Scott is, not when it comes to life or death. But I don't want to hurt anyone Danny. I can't live with that."

"So don't." Danny's hands wrapped around Stiles' waist and he hooked his chin over Stiles' shoulder. "Deaton can train you how to win without killing. We're just teenagers Stiles. We're not killers, even if you think you are."

"Danny..."

Danny nuzzled his neck and Stiles slumped back against him, letting all the fear drain out of him. It was all out in the open now, all his fear and worry about the violence he was capable of, and Danny was still holding him. Which was weird to begin with but Stiles wasn't going to protest. If someone as good and nice as Danny was still willing to hold him after Stiles said all of that, well, how bad could Stiles  _really_  be, right?

Stiles turned in Danny's grasp to bury his face in Danny's chest. "Sorry for having a total meltdown. Again."

Danny ruffled his hair and kissed the top of Stiles' head. "It's okay. I'm here to help. I'm not gonna let you do this alone."

Something in Stiles' gut warmed at the words, warmed something in him that he hadn't realized had gone cold. The place in him that craved contact, that Scott or Erica would fill, but with the way things had been he hadn't seen them as much as he normally would.

Before he could think about what he was doing, Stiles popped up onto his toes and pressed his lips to Danny's. Danny went stiff against him and Stiles pulled back immediately, thumping his head against Danny's shoulder.

"Fuck. Sorry. I wasn't thinking," Stiles muttered.

"Not complaining, just wasn't expecting it," Danny said, still holding on to Stiles' hips. "I guess I just would like to know why, if that's okay?"

"I'm lonely and we almost died today?" Stiles offered.

Danny smiled. "Touché. Let's keep it slow then yeah? Don't want to do something you'll regret in the heat of the moment."

"Yeah okay." Stiles pulled back but linked their hands together. "So movies. Maybe a few snuggles."

"That can be arranged."

 

-.-

 

Allison held her arms out. "C'mon Lydia. I'll catch you."

"Are you sure the stairs are out of the question?" Lydia stared over the edge of the rooftop, toeing at it with her boot.

"My dad will wake up if he hears the front door," Allison said.

"Yeah and if we keep debating this he'll also hear us," Erica said from where she stood beside Lydia. "So, jump."

Allison braced her legs as Lydia lowered herself onto the rooftop with her legs dangling over the edge. Lydia popped off the roof and landed in Allison's arms with a muffled squeak, accidentally yanking hard on Allison's hair.

"Oh god sorry," Lydia said, breathless as she stared wide-eyed at Allison.

"Don't worry," Allison said, helping her stand up.

Erica landed beside them with a soft sound of bare feet on the sidewalk, Allison's bow slung over her back. "Alright, let's do this. I'll lead the way."

It was odd seeing Erica now compared to a few hours ago. Even in baggy clothes that hung off her like blankets she exuded the confidence she normally did. Allison had only been on this side of town a few times, the last time being when Jackson was still the kanima.

She hung closer to Lydia and the redhead seemed to sense her distress, reaching out and twining their hands together.

"Why are you so...okay out here? It's a pretty bad part of town," Allison said.

"Allison, you could take on a werewolf with your bare hands, what are you worried about?" Lydia asked.

"Gangsters with guns?" Allison shrugged.

"What's why Erica's here," Lydia said.

"I can take a bullet just fine," Erica said, turning towards them and walking backwards. "But if having your bow makes you feel better..."

Erica slung it over her shoulder and tossed it towards Allison. She had to let go of Lydia's hand to catch it but once it was over her shoulder, she grabbed Lydia's hand again. With the comfortable weight of her bow on her back and the warmth of Lydia's hand in hers, Allison could feel herself relax.

They arrived at the train depot without incident and Erica darted into the darkened area to grab the lights. They were dim and flickering but Allison could make out the lone train car. She and Lydia approached it, peaking in the broken windows. The chairs were uprooted, chains and manacles hanging off of them and a closer look revealed blood splatters all over the floor and chairs.

"What the hell happened here?" Allison asked.

Erica squirmed between them and slung her arms around each of their shoulders. "The remains of our first full moon. It was a bit rough."

"Apparently," Lydia said.

"Anyways, I'll take a look around and make sure no one set up any not so friendly traps."

Erica departed, leaving Allison and Lydia to examine the train car. Seeing the chains and the blood made Allison's heart clench. It wasn't just because it reminded her of what Scott had to go through, but because the blood beneath her boots was Isaac's, and Erica's, and Boyd's. Boyd, who was still missing.

"So I kissed Erica."

Allison whirled around where she stood at the back of the train, eyebrows rising as she stared at Lydia who had her back turned. "Uh..."

"It was nice. I'm thinking I might be a little gay," Lydia said. She turned towards Allison, a guarded look in her eyes. "That okay?"

The stupid feeling in her gut returned and Allison clenched her fists tight. "No, no, it's fine."

Lydia's gaze dropped to Allison's hands and she raised a thin eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

Before Allison could say anything, her phone went off and she tugged it out of her pocket. "Hello?"

"Allison? It's Logan. Where are you exactly?"

"There's a u-uh staircase at the train depot. Head down that," she said. She hung up the phone before Logan could reply and turned to Lydia. "He's here. We should go meet him."

"Yeah, let's do that." The biting irritation in Lydia's voice didn't go unnoticed but Allison shoved it to the back of her mind.

When she left the train car, Logan was standing in the middle of the cluttered space. His shoulders were hunched forward and he was twisting his hands together with a nervous glance around the area.

"Calm down. I'm alone except for Lydia," Allison said, coming to stand before him with her arms folded across her chest.

"You're armed," Logan said.

"There's a gun in the left side of your jacket pocket and you don't see me looking like I'm going to wet my pants," Lydia said.

"I'm sorry I'm just...nervous." Logan pulled the gun out and handed it to Allison. "There. Unarmed."

"Why do you want to help?" Allison asked as she emptied out the ammo on the ground. "Your family is pretty cult-like. I can't mean more to you than them."

"Yeah, of course you don't but that doesn't mean I don't realize they're bat shit insane," Logan said, all tentativeness leaving his voice. "You know you're the first family we  _haven't_  just outright killed because we don't agree with you?"

" _You've_  killed people? Like actual people, definitions of people not withstanding," Lydia said. "You?"

"No. I refused. My mom wasn't happy but I stop at humans."

"How noble of you," Allison said, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. "So why  _isn't_  your family killing us outright?"

"You may have declined in skill level but like you said, the Argent name is still well known. Even my parents don't want to be that daring," Logan said. "Look, can I just tell you what I can and get out of here?"

"Fine. Talk," Allison said.

"Our champion is this guy called Henno Streiter. He's from Germany and his family has been hunting since the 1800s. He's well trained," Logan said. "That should be more than enough help."

"A name? That's it?" Lydia asked.

"That's more than enough with hunter culture," Allison said. She handed Logan's empty gun back to him. "Anything else you can say?"

"That's all I'm willing to say for now. They're my family Allison. There's only so much I'm willing to do," Logan said.

"They're crazy. How far will family loyalty go, really?" Lydia asked.

"Family makes you do crazy things," Logan said, catching Allison's eyes.

She turned her gaze to the ground and when she looked back up, Logan was already heading up the stairs.

Lydia sighed. "Can't believe I jumped off a roof for that."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pack is finally able to rescue Boyd, but the cost isn't what anyone expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some warnings for thsi

[The tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

Jackson checked his phone. 11:00 PM. Sure his parents were big believers in freedom for kids, especially when their kid suddenly gained the ability to not be dead after being declared so, but still. A short text would have been nice.

"Parents worried?" Olivia asked.

She was lounging on the couch, calculus homework lying forgotten on the floor. They had discussed battle tactics before settling in to do homework, and Jackson was surprised at how well thought out her plans were. She'd spent her free time tracking where the Hale Pack roamed during the full moon.

Of course, the devil was in the details so she pumped Jackson for information on how all of them fought. She wasn't shy about mentioning the names of those who could best fight them among her pack and Jackson stowed the information away at the back of his mind. The information would be useless if the hunters ended up beating the Hale Pack first, but Olivia apparently preferred to be prepared for any eventuality.

"No, I can stay if you need me," Jackson said, shoving his phone back in his pocket.

"Good. Marisa and Tobias will be home soon and they might want to talk to you," Olivia said. She pushed herself up and patted the now free side of the couch. "Sit."

Jackson sat down, smirking a bit when Olivia resettled with her head on his lap. He wanted to be uncomfortable with Olivia's closeness, but it was pretty much impossible when he could detect the discontented hum of loss within her. He was far from the nurturing type, but they shared something.

They shared the experience of seeing Olivia's packmates die and it was hard for Jackson to just ignore the small ways in which she reached out for him for comfort. Even telling himself over and over again that she wanted to  _kill_  the people he cared about didn't dampen the urge to throw himself entirely into the growing bond struggling to grow, if only to ease her pain.

"So I've got a question..." Jackson started.

"Hmmm?"

"It's just Boyd went missing last night. It really made Erica mad so I figured maybe you or Tobias or Marisa did something," Jackson said.

Olivia set the book down, frowning. "No, wasn't us, though whoever  _did_  do that is smart. I'm jealous. Why would you think it was us?"

"Well his scent was all over the Grossman's property but apparently he was never there. Seems to me like someone was trying to get Erica to attack," Jackson said. "Seemed like your kind of plan even if it didn't work."

"If I had done it, it would've worked," Olivia said.

Before Jackson could say anything else, the back door slammed open and Marisa strode into the living room, forcing someone else in ahead of her. Peter winced as she clenched her hand firmly around the back of his neck, her claws biting at the sides of his throat. A snort of laughter escaped Jackson before he could stop it when he saw the disgruntled look on Peter's face.

"He's like an unruly puppy," Olivia said, popping up onto her feet.

"I will bite you," Peter said as she got closer.

"No you won't, unless you want my claws to slip through your spine," Marisa said. She sounded bored, like she'd been dealing with his empty threats for longer than any person should have had to endure.

"Now see in any other circumstance, that might..." Peter looked passed Olivia, his usual predatory grin splitting his lips when he met Jackson's eyes. "Well hello Jackson. It seems I'm not the only snake."

"You sound surprised," Marisa said, eyes narrowing as her gaze flicked between them. "Why?"

"Whoa, easy on the claws, I'm on your side," Peter said. "I even brought you a gift, though I'll admit I could've executed the plan a  _little_  better."

Marisa threw him forward and onto his knees. "Stay. Tobias is putting your  _present_  in the basement so you'll tell me why you're so surprised to see Jackson right now before you go and join him so we don't have to worry about you causing trouble."

"Aren't  _I_  calling the shots now?" Olivia asked. "I mean, he can answer the question but you said I'm handling this now."

Marisa looked like she was going to disagree but then she took a step back. "You're right, I shouldn't hold you back."

Olivia nudged Peter's leg before stalking a slow circle around him. "Answer the question then."

"Right, well, you're both smart women. You can no doubt smell that scent all over him," Peter said, keeping his gaze fixed on Jackson.

"He has to maintain his cover. There's a reason we prefer him over you," Olivia said. "That pack actually trusts him still. They'll talk to him. Who in their right mind would tell you their plans?"  
"Okay, point taken but have either of you bothered to identify the scent that's all over him?"

Marisa moved fast, crossing the space between them and grabbing Jackson by the front of his jacket. Jackson tensed, unable to look up into her eyes. Marisa may have handed the reins over to Olivia but Jackson could feel the iron will of Marisa's Alpha shoving up against his, demanding his submission.

The feather-light strands of red hair brushed along the tops of Jackson's cheekbones. He sucked in a tight breath as Marisa examined over his scent, heart pounding faster as it struggled to escape his chest. After a tense moment, Marisa tossed him back onto the couch and then turned back to Olivia.

"Scott McCall. Explain to me why the hell that makes a difference," Marisa said.

"You  _hate_  Scott," Olivia said, stepping away from Peter and coming to stand beside her sister. "I mean, it's no secret. Everyone talks about how he stole your spot on the team and how you've tormented him since you met."

"So why do you smell like the one packmate you supposedly hate the most if you're so keen on killing them all and moving on?" Peter asked, crooking up an eyebrow.

"What better way to convince them?" The words popped out of Jackson's mouth before he could think them through. Jackson forced himself to meet first Olivia's and then Marisa's eyes. "What? I'm not an idiot. It's not like it hasn't been pretty damn obvious that I'm hanging out with another pack. Scott McCall is an easy guy to make forgive you if you act pathetic enough." Jackson got to his feet and moved closer to Peter. "I'm not going to shamelessly betray them like someone did. That's a sure-fire way to make yourself useless."

The confident and smarmy look in Peter's eyes vanished and he sprung to his feet, grabbing Jackson by the throat and slamming him against the nearest wall. " _You_? Smarter than me? I was an Alpha. What were you? A lizard. A fucking lizard because you were pulled out of the dead corpse of some whore on the side of the road-"

Jackson's claws snapped out and up, sinking into Peter's scalp and yanking hard, forcing him back. Peter snarled, eyes flashing blue, but it was far from intimidating because Jackson had to see the harsh blue of a cold-blooded killer every time he looked in the mirror. Jackson slashed at Peter's arm, forcing the man to release him before kicking hard at his stomach and sending him flying back into Marisa.

He half expected Marisa to just toss Peter back and let them fight it out, but then she twisted her arm to link both of Peter's behind his back. One hard pull on his shoulder and Peter was bellowing in pain as Marisa broke both his arms. Jackson stared at her, at the red glow in her eyes that burned with a fierce determination that Derek had never quite been able to master.

Marisa smoothed out her black blouse and tucked her hair back behind her ears. "Well. You've certainly proved yourself haven't you Jackson?"

Jackson glanced down at Peter's shaking form, watching as Peter nearly bit through his lip in an effort to stay quiet. "You did most the work."

"Looks like you could've handled yourself just fine though," Marisa said. "Olivia, take him to the basement with his that gift of his. I think Jackson and I need to talk."

Jackson tried not to cringe, keeping his gaze fixed on Marisa as Olivia hauled Peter up. He didn't want to make the mistake of looking at Peter and triggering another bout of anger. His mind was still spinning with what Peter had said, the truth of his birth, if it could even be called that.

"Take a seat, Jackson," Marisa said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'd like to keep standing," Jackson said. "If I could."

"Just because I'm starting to like you doesn't mean I'm willing to let you do what you want. Sit."

Jackson obeyed without further protest, looking up at Marisa. "Should I be nervous? Like, is my throat about to be ripped out?"  
"No. This is me apologizing for doubting you. You're certainly more useful than Peter, even if I don't fully trust you the way Olivia does. You're still willing to help it seems." Marisa shrugged. "But Olivia trusts you and Olivia's technically in charge of this now, so I apologize. Clearly you're an opportunist and anyone smart can see we're the better choice."

"No hard feelings I guess. I do have one question though, if I can ask," Jackson said.

Marisa gave a shrug, the most relaxed motion Jackson had ever seen her make.

"What's the point in having two Alphas?" Jackson asked. "From what I've seen, all that leads to is a ton of infighting and you don't exactly seem like the type willing to back down."

"It's a matter of survival and strength. Alphas can take a better hit, especially in a pack this size. With our bond, Olivia and I will be quite the pair. She's safer as an Alpha and she'll be able to draw on my power as well," Marisa said. "Our bond is too strong for something as basic as infighting."

"She's not even your biological sister though," Jackson said. "I mean anyone with eyes can see that. Is it really that important to have her be stronger?"

"Biological bonds are useless. Look at Peter. It is the family of choice that ensures the most loyalty," Marisa said, her tone biting and harsh. "Maybe once you've settled in among your true pack of choice, you'll understand."

"Okay, prisoners are secured," Olivia said, popping back into the room.

"Good, come along then, Jackson. There's something you need to see," Marisa said. "Peter is rather useless, but I'm sure you can think of something to do with his present."

Jackson bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying something stupid, instead just following after Olivia. Marisa brought up the rear as they headed downstairs. The basement wasn't finished, just a concrete slab for a floor and three support beams, two of which were being used to chain up Peter, and not surprisingly, Boyd.

"Well, now we know who was trying to get Erica to attack the hunters," Jackson said. He glanced over at Peter and then back at Marisa. "He really looks good when he's gagged."

Peter tried to say something, but the cloth gag did enough to silence him. Boyd seemed a bit listless, head bowed with not even an ounce of tension in his body. Jackson could barely pick up his scent, muffled as it was by whatever Peter had drugged him with.

"So Olivia? What do you think we should do next? I wouldn't mind seeing Jackson rip the pretty beta's throat out," Marisa said, sliding passed Jackson to nudge Boyd's leg.

"Okay, I could do that, but that'd be a total waste," Jackson said with an eye roll. "We have a chance to do what Peter couldn't. Like you said, Olivia, you can get Erica to attack. Especially since now we have something more concrete than his scent."

Olivia twirled a piece of hair around her finger, a grin slowly creeping across her face. "I think I know exactly what you mean."

 

-.-

 

Allison woke up to the smell of pancakes with Erica stretched out on top of her. She ruffled Erica's hair until she grumbled and shifted off, taking the covers with her. Rubbing her arms for warmth, Allison rolled out of bed and grabbed her jacket off the dresser.

When she got downstairs, Lydia was sitting at the island counter and Chris was slowly adding to the stack of pancakes on the plate next to the oven. Allison sat down beside Lydia, but Lydia didn't spare her a glance.

"Not that often you make breakfast. What's the occasion?" Allison asked.

"Call them forgiveness pancakes," Chris said. "For being angry. And I know you snuck out last night, so I'm forgiving you preemptively in good faith."

Allison ducked her head as Chris set a plate down in front of her. "Sorry, it was for a good reason."

"So Lydia told me," Chris said.

"Oh." Allison looked over at Lydia, but she still refused to look up from her plate. "I can give you the information if you want."

"She said Logan mentioned a name," Chris said. "Are you sure we can trust him?"  
"I mean it's all we have to go on, and the Grossman's don't seem like the type to play mind games. They're too straight forward about how much they don't like us," Allison said.

"And Logan is no actor," Lydia said. "Though how he remains so open and weak with a family like that is amazing."

"Family makes exceptions for those they share blood with," Chris said.

"Not always," Allison said.

"This conversation sounds heavy, what's going on?" Erica asked. She grabbed the plate beside the oven with the largest stack of pancakes. "Also, someone knows how to cook for a werewolf."

"I've gotten used to Isaac's stomach," Chris said with a small half smile. "So this name?"  
"Henno Streiter," Allison said. "Ring any bells?"  
Chris flicked off the oven and turned away from them. "Yeah. Yeah it does."

"Well that sounds horribly promising," Lydia said, dumping more syrup on her food. "So how screwed are we?"

"We certainly won't be able to find anyone willing to fight for us. I trained under him, both Kate and I did. He's ruthless and he won't stop until he wins," Chris said.

"Oh, so we're just going to throw Stiles up against him, that makes sense," Lydia said.

Chris turned around, running a hand through his hair. "Not necessarily. I'll think of something."

"Okay well whatever you decide to do, you can't do it without Stiles' input," Erica said. All eyes turned towards her and she raised an eyebrow. "What? I'm serious. It's his choice and he's not a kid."

"You want to tell his dad that when we bring back his corpse?" Chris demanded, hand slamming down on the counter.

"No. You're just underestimating him. How about you try talking to him and Deaton and see what they think before you try to do something stupid or self-sacrificing," Erica said.

"She has a point," Lydia said. "I mean, we can't just roll over and run. If you do that, who knows what they'll do to the rest of us, to this town."

Chris still had his head bowed, fingers curling into a fist.

"Look, Dad," Allison said, reaching out and grabbing his wrist. "This doesn't all just fall to you anymore. You aren't the one responsible for our lives and you don't have to make all the hard decisions anymore. We're all on the same side now, so we have a lot of options to consider and a lot of brains to put together."

"I know. I know." Chris turned his hand to grab Allison's wrist, squeezing it once. "I'll pull some files and go meet with Deaton." He let out a shuddering sigh and released Allison before looking up and fixing them each with a hard stare. "You all have to look into finding Boyd and dealing with the pack. That comes first."

Allison gave a short nod. "We'll swing by Derek's and get something together."

"After eating all of these of course. Can't kick ass on an empty stomach," Erica said. "Thanks. For breakfast."

Chris offered a small smile. "No problem."

"And thanks, Dad. For trusting us to actually get this right."

"You aren't kids anymore. It's about time I start trusting you."

 

-.-

 

"God, finally you're awake," Peter said.

Boyd blinked slow a few times and then turned, eyes refocusing in the dim light of the small room. "Last time I checked you weren't tied up next to me."

Peter rubbed his chin against his shoulder, forcing the cloth gag lower on his face so he could talk easier. "Yeah well the tables have turned and now we're on the same side so how about we work together and get out of here."

"You have got to be kidding me. You drugged me and tied me up in your basement. Now we're in someone else's basement. How about I just get myself out and leave you down here to stop fucking everything up?" Boyd said.

"Okay now you could do that but our chances of making it out alive are a lot higher if there's two of us. C'mon Boyd, you're a smart guy. We might hate each other, but just look at the facts."

Boyd closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Most everything smelled of dirt and earth and stone, and the scents beyond that were unfamiliar and made his gut twist. Just beyond that though, he could smell something familiar; Jackson. So, he was safe then, at least in the long run. He didn't like the idea that his fate rested in Jackson's hands but it was better than having Peter as his only potential ally.

"So I take it you've just realized Jackson is hanging around," Peter said. "You got pretty calm."

"He's my packmate, of course I'm calm," Boyd said.

"Oh, right, your packmate must care so much about you. It's not like he isn't moving in on the new pack and leaving you all behind," Peter said with a snort. "You know, I was doubting him at first. I thought for sure he was doing some of that double agent crap but after seeing him up there? Oh he's definitely turned. If he did care, he doesn't anymore, and I mean, no one's ever really cared about you to begin with, have they?"

Boyd closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. So. Peter didn't know, not really. But that meant he couldn't afford to let Peter know that Jackson really was just a good actor. That didn't mean, though, that what Peter said didn't hurt. If he'd been Isaac, or Lydia, or hell even Scott, Boyd was pretty sure Jackson would've found a way to get him out by now, and he could tell by the way his stomach was growling that it really had been some time.

"Realizing I'm right?"

"Do you ever shut up?"

"Well-"

"That was rhetorical. How are you and Derek even related?" Boyd tested his bonds but his arms were still weak from whatever Peter had drugged him with before. "So why'd you bother with taking off the gag if you aren't going to howl for help? At least I know I can't, thanks to your drugs."

"Because, idiot, I'm not too keen on your pack finding out where I am," Peter said. "It's not like they'd be overly sympathetic to my cause, especially with you around to blab your mouth."

"So you only took the gag off to talk me to death then?" Boyd asked.

"Don't be thick. I figure we're unhappy allies now so we might as well figure out how to get out of here," Peter said.

Boyd rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm still more interested in leaving without you. I don't need you."

The basement door opened before Peter could retort and Boyd straightened as best he could. Olivia sat down on the bottom step and held her phone out for Jackson to take. She leaned forward on her knees before propping her chin in the palm of one hand and staring Boyd down.

"Jackson, please gag Peter again," Olivia said.

"Look at you Jackson. Moving up in the world but still taking orders like the-"

Jackson cut off Peter's words with a hard kick to his stomach before fixing the gag back into Peter's mouth. Boyd clenched his jaw tight as Jackson turned towards him. The beta braced his feet on either side of Boyd's legs before crouching down so they were at the same eye level. Boyd knew Jackson was just putting on a show, knew that he had to be believable when he had both Peter and Olivia looking on, but he could see a tiny bit of hesitance in Jackson's eyes.

"Get him nice and bloody," Olivia said, examining her nails and picking out dirt from beneath them. She looked up and met Boyd's eyes over Jackson's shoulder. "The angrier Erica is, the better off we are."

"Damn you really have gone off the deep end haven't you?" Boyd asked. "Hurting me, okay whatever. But this is going to hurt  _Erica_. I don't think any of you are ready to deal with that. She's going to tear you apart."

"Maybe, if this was our phone," Jackson said, straightening. "But it's Piper's, which was very difficult to get our hands on this morning but it was necessary. Erica's going to go charging into a nest full of hunters once she gets pictures of you and then we all just get to sit back and watch the blood bath."

Olivia got to her feet, sliding around Jackson to stand before Peter. "Because you see, Peter, I'm not an idiot. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows physical evidence works much better than just a scent."

Jackson turned back to Boyd. "I can gag you too if you're worried about making too much noise."

"Let's see if you can still hit as hard as you did as the kanima," Boyd said, raising his chin. "You're still just someone's tool, but now you might just be a dull one." Boyd met Jackson's eyes, letting the gold bleed through in his own; a challenge, and maybe even permission. "Prove me wrong."

Jackson's eyes flashed blue and he lashed out.

 

-.-

 

"This plan is stupid," Isaac said. "I'd just like to reiterate that."

"Just go get Erica," Derek said.

Isaac got out of the Camaro and headed up to the Argent's front door. Jackson had called them early that morning to inform them of Olivia's plan to torture Boyd and send pictures to Erica from Piper's phone in hopes of inciting a fight between them and the hunters.

It was certainly a more concrete plan than what Peter had apparently attempted. It was hard not to go in guns blazing when you had images like that complete with an address on where to actually find Boyd. Of course, they'd still be going in guns blazing, only where Boyd actually was being stowed, not the hunter's house. It would blow Jackson's cover sky high but Derek didn't seem to really care.

The door flew open and Erica glowered at Isaac, arms folded across her chest. She was dressed in Allison's clothes, all durable leather that she could move easily in. Lydia and Allison flanked her on either side.

"Okay, no," Isaac said. "Only Erica's coming."

"Like hell," Lydia said. "We all saw those pictures Isaac. Thanks for the two second warning for what the hell was going on by the way, that was  _really_  helpful."

"Look, don't get mad at me. This is all really difficult to stay on top of as is. You two are staying though," Isaac said. "It's a small house, and we don't want things getting out of control."

"Whatever, I just want to get going. The sooner we save Boyd the sooner I can punch Jackson," Erica said, shoving passed Isaac. "Thanks for the clothes Allison."

Isaac stared after her for a moment before turning back. "Sorry. We'll catch up after we have Boyd, okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Allison said. "But you'll call if you need back up or a distraction or anything?"

Isaac nodded. "Yeah, we will."

"And you better text once you got him back. Oh, and if you take longer than two hours I'm coming after you guys myself," Lydia said.

"Isaac!" Derek called from the car.

Isaac spared them one more quick nod and then dashed back to slide into the Camaro's passenger seat.

"So what's the plan?" Erica asked.

Derek pulled out of Allison's driveway and glanced at Erica through the rearview mirror. "Will you actually follow a plan?"  
"If it's not a dumb plan sure," Erica said.

Isaac sunk down in his seat, rubbing his forehead. "Erica, what happened to Boyd isn't anyone's fault and Jackson is doing what he can to keep them both alive. No one wanted it to happen like this."

"Well that's not really good enough. So what. Is. Your. Plan?"

"Scott's already there and checking out what the odds are. If there's only Olivia, we'll go in on our own and just restrain her. If Marisa and Tobias are there, we'll need to be careful how we fight them."

"And Peter? What about him?" Erica asked. "He's in the pictures they sent me too."

Isaac glanced over at Derek, watching as he clenched hard at the wheel, knuckles turning white.

"We'll take care of him," Isaac said.

"Good."

They parked three blocks away from Olivia's house, close to the forest that backed up to the suburb. Scott was waiting for them by the dead end of the road. They climbed out of the car to join him and Isaac reached out to grab Erica's hand. She clenched it hard, nearly cracking his fingers.

"So Marisa and Tobias are definitely there," Scott said. "But that house is small. We're going to have to be careful but quick. If we make too much noise, people might call the police."

"Scott, you and I can handle Marisa. Erica and Isaac can take Tobias," Derek said.

"Are you insane? Tobias nearly destroyed us last time," Isaac said.

"He won't this time," Erica said. She pulled her hand out of Isaac's and crossed her arms over her chest. "Jackson can free Boyd and get rid of Olivia and then we can get out."

"That's the plan. He'll move once he hears us break in," Scott said. "We ready?"

"Of course we are," Erica said with a tight smile.

Isaac wanted to hug her, do something to calm her down, but it was Boyd they were saving. She wouldn't relax until he was safe.

 

-.-

 

Jackson bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep the bile down. Boyd was unconscious, at least Jackson hoped he was. He was healing sure, but Jackson still had the other beta's blood under his nails, could still feel the crack of Boyd's bones echoing in his fingers.

Olivia pocketed Piper's phone and stood up from where she sat on the basement steps. "It's been like, an hour. I kind of expected something, like maybe a threatening text. Maybe I overestimated Erica's anger."

The sound of the front door slamming open made both Jackson and Olivia look up. Olivia raised an eyebrow when she heard Tobias snarl, and then she began to head up the steps but not before calling to Jackson over her shoulder.

"Make sure those two stay put."

Jackson turned back to Boyd and Peter. Boyd certainly wasn't moving anytime soon but Peter was grinning around his gag. Peter jerked in his bonds once, hard, and then raised his hands up to remove the gag, the broken rope dangling around his wrists.

"Bravo, Jackson, truly a convincing performance," Peter said, rising to his feet. "Maybe there's still a bit of that Matt kid in you yet."

"How the hell did you get out?"

"Uh, one, claws," Peter said, his claws sliding out as he twiddled his fingers at Jackson. "You really shouldn't put those binds in range of these things. Second, you gave me like, eight hours to wear down the same damn rope. Seriously, a life of crime for you kids isn't looking that bright."

Jackson lashed out but Peter caught his wrist and snapped it before slamming Jackson up against the wall. "I'm going to kill you."

"Me?" Peter chuckled. "That's cute. You might have been a cold-blooded killer before but you know, Boyd was right. You're just a tool Jackson. You'll never be strong enough to handle me on your own."

Peter slammed Jackson's head hard up against the cement wall and Jackson's vision went dark.

 

-.-

 

Erica ducked under a swipe of Tobias' claws and then darted behind him to leap onto his back. She sunk her claws into his shoulders, ripping down his back as she sprung away from him. He whirled and caught her hair in his fist before driving his fist into her stomach.

She screamed as something within her cracked but then she latched onto his arm, sinking her claws in and forcing him closer.

"Pummel me all you want, I'll still destroy you," she panted out.

"You love him, don't you?" Tobias asked, his grip on her hair loosening. "The boy, you-"

Erica slammed her head into his and withdrew her claws. Isaac grabbed Tobias by the back of the neck and spun him around before punching him in the face. Erica clutched her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. She could hear Derek and Scott just beyond the kitchen in the living room, but there was no sign of Boyd or Jackson yet.

Before she could get her bearings, Olivia darted in front of her, foot snapping forward and catching Erica's chin. Erica snarled and tackled Olivia to the ground, ignoring the searing pain in her stomach for the satisfaction of slamming Olivia's head against the floor. She wrapped her hands around Olivia's throat, thumbs shoving into her windpipe and making the other girl gasp.

Erica pressed their foreheads together, smiling down at Olivia as she writhed beneath Erica's weight. "God, bet you regret messing with me now don't you?" Erica brushed their noses together. "Because here's the thing, Olivia. I chose to become a monster. You might think you're ruthless and smart and better than me, but just remember next time you feel like challenging me, that it's the people who  _want_ to become monsters that you should be afraid of."

Olivia wiggled harder beneath her, her strained and gasping shout not making it passed her lips. Erica threw her head back and then slammed Olivia's head into the floor again, watching her eyes roll back in pain. The sick satisfaction in her gut should've made her stop, but it only made her want to rip open Olivia's throat and make her blood spill across the floor.

Erica slid one hand up to fist in Olivia's black hair, arching her head back to expose her bruising throat before raising up her other hand, claws elongating.

"No!"

Erica looked up just in time to see Marisa shove passed Tobias and Isaac. The Alpha crashed into her, slamming her up against the cabinet. Erica yelped as Marisa yanked her up by the front of her shirt, feet kicking at the ground when Marisa's fist crashed into her jaw again and again.

Abruptly, Marisa was pulled away and Erica crumpled to the ground, coughing before looking up at the Alpha through blurred vision. Peter had the Alpha by the back of her neck, his foot pressed down tight on Olivia's throat. Tobias was restrained by Scott and Derek, with Isaac limp on the ground at their feet. Everything was still, silent, but Erica's ears wouldn't stop ringing.

"You know, I wanted to be on your side, Marisa. I never liked taking orders but you...you I could have followed," Peter said. "But then you had to go disrespect me after I went out of my way to bring you a gift, and I mean, look who ended up really betraying you. It wasn't me."

"Jackson," Olivia squeezed out, hands scrabbling at Peter's leg.

Tobias growled, yanking hard against Derek and Scott but to no avail.

"You really should've listened to me. I told you he still smelled of the Hale Pack but no, you just didn't believe me. So Marisa. Who should I kill first? You or darling little sister?" Peter asked.

 

"Let her go!" Marisa growled, twisting in Peter's grip.

"Ah, ah, keep fighting and I'll crush her neck." Peter pressed his lips to Marisa's jaw. "Well, since you can't decide, I guess I'll just take what's mine. After all, if I can't follow you, I could always just...become you."

Peter tossed Marisa away, but not before slashing her throat open. Marisa crumpled on the ground, blood spraying across the floor and over Erica's face as she hit the ground not even an inch away from her. A whimper escaped Erica's lips and then she looked up, recoiling as Peter's eyes flashed red.

He stepped off of Olivia and after a quick look around the room, dashed passed Erica and out the back door. Olivia rolled onto her stomach, a painful sob escaping her as she dragged herself over to Marisa. Scott and Derek released Tobias and Erica watched as Scott slumped back against the wall, disbelief written all over his face.

Erica's gaze turned back to Olivia and Tobias, her stomach curling in on its self. Olivia's pained cries made her want to reach out, comfort the girl she had just tried so hard to kill. She pushed herself up, stumbling passed them and coming to rest against the wall, trembling as Olivia let out another wail, bending low over Marisa's still body.

Derek started to move forward and then paused, a look of helplessness on his face. The basement door creaked open and Jackson emerged, helping a dazed and bloodied Boyd up the stairs. Erica watched as his gaze focused on Olivia, watched as he passed Boyd off to Derek and rushed to Olivia's side.

Watched Olivia shove him away and watched as Jackson stayed where he fell, curling up against the cabinets. She could see blood splattered over his shirt, Boyd's blood, but the anger she felt at the sight was muted under the roaring in her ears. She looked up at Boyd and when their eyes met he offered a grim smile before going limp against Derek.

"Derek?" Scott's voice was soft, strained. "Derek."

Derek looked back towards Scott.

Scott stared at him. "What do we do?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack deals with the fallout of Boyd's rescue and what it means for those of the supernatural world living in Beacon Hills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOAAA WE'RE HALF WAY THEREEEE WHOAAA, LIVING ON A PRAYER!
> 
> Roughly. We're roughly have way there. There being the end. I hope. I have some bits and pieces that aren't quite ready to fall in line yet. 
> 
> Also there probably won't be a chapter update next week, as I plan on writing a Scerek, a Stisaac, and a Pacific Rim fic for Valentines Day. That's the game plan anyways. Wish me luck friends and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. :D

[The tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

When Stiles woke up, he was tangled up in the sheets of Danny's bed and his phone was ringing shrilly on the desk. He kicked the sheets away and rolled out of bed before grabbing his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, uh, Stiles? We kinda need your help," Scott said.

"What's up?" Stiles ran a hand through his hair, wincing at how it stuck out in every direction when he looked in the mirror.

Scott gave a nervous laugh that made every muscle in him tense up. "Look, I just need you to come pick up Erica."

"Okay, from where?" Stiles patted down his jeans and picked his keys out of his pocket.

"Allison's. We're all there now. Could you maybe pick Danny up on the way?" Scott sounded uneasy, like he was a hairsbreadth away from totally freaking out.

"Yeah no problem. Scott, what's going on?"  
"Just get here okay?"

Scott hung up before Stiles could get another word in. The bedroom door eased open and Danny entered, black jeans slung low on his hips and his hair wet from his shower. He finished tugging his shirt on and stepped over to Stiles, hand reaching out to grab Stiles' shoulder.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, well, no. We have to get to Allison's. I think something happened while we were sleeping," Stiles said.

"Shit. Okay let's go, unless you want to shower first?" Danny asked.

"No time. Scott sounded really freaked out," Stiles said, moving to shove passed Danny, but Danny grabbed his shoulders.

"Okay, well you're no use to him without a shirt," Danny said, a small smile toying at his lips. "Not that I really mind."

Stiles leaned forward and Danny's hands drifted down to his hips, rubbing circles into his pale skin. "Now is really not the time for distractions, Danny."

Danny stole a quick kiss and then backed off. "Then put a shirt on. I'll go put your stuff in the Jeep."

Stiles waited until Danny was gone before slumping against the wall. It just figured when life was getting good it crumbled around him. Just last night, he'd been able to relax with Danny. He'd felt safe, safe enough to fall asleep in Danny's arms and escape the worry and nightmares.

Now of course, reality was back and eager to kick him in the face. He grabbed his shirt off the ground and tugged it on before heading downstairs. Danny was waiting for him by the door and didn't hesitate to grab Stiles' hand as they left the house.

"I'm sure everything is okay. If it were really bad, Scott would've said something," Danny said.

"I just feel a bit bad for..." Stiles released Danny's hand to climb in the driver's side and Danny into the passenger side.

"For what?" Danny asked.

Stiles started the Jeep and then backed out. Danny grabbed his hand again once it was free and Stiles found that the simple touch went a long ways in relaxing him.

"For...doing nothing last night," Stiles said. "We goofed off and made out, not that I'm complaining because making out with you is awesome, but..."

"Everyone needs a personal day off Stiles, even if the town is full of psychopaths. Actually, especially then," Danny said. He squeezed Stiles' hand. "We shouldn't feel bad about that."

"You know I didn't  _use_  to feel bad about this sort of thing," Stiles said. "Seriously, a year ago, I wouldn't care. I'm a pretty selfish guy. Used to be. Bit harder to do that now."

Danny didn't get a chance to argue the point because Stiles was already pulling into Allison's driveway. Stiles tried to shake off his nerves as they headed up to the front door. Before he could knock, Scott opened the door. There was a jagged cut across his cheek and blood seeping through his shirt, which didn't bode well because none of it looked close to healing.

"Yeah, come on in," Scott said, holding the door open. "People are mostly in the living room."

Stiles and Danny exchanged a look and followed after Scott. Isaac and Erica sat beside each other on the couch, both listless. Erica's arm was braced across her stomach and her eyes were rimmed red with crying. That wasn't all though. Her jaw was bruised and so was one of her eyes, and Stiles could definitely tell that wasn't healing. Scott sat down beside her, tentatively wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

On the other couch sat a hulking man that didn't look remotely familiar but had a sort of army drill sergeant look about him. The girl beside him was familiar though. Olivia sat with her back rim rod straight. Her throat was bruised, the clear pattern of the bottom of a shoe making Stiles wince a bit in sympathy. Derek stood between the two couches, the coffee table pushed back by the fireplace.

"So obviously I'm very confused as to what's going on," Stiles said, gesturing at Olivia. "Also, where's Lydia? And Allison?"

"Food run," Scott said. "Well, Allison is. Lydia's upstairs with Jackson."

"Okay and Olivia's here why?" Stiles said.

"Marisa is dead," Derek said. "Peter killed her when we rescued Boyd."

"For the record, I've always been against him," Stiles said. "Just wanna get that out there."

Danny nudged his lower back and Stiles clamped his mouth shut before anything else poured out of his mouth in bad taste.

"I need you to take Erica home or back to my place or something," Derek said. "Up to her."

"So I'm just the driver. Someone  _is_  going to eventually fill me in on everything, right?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah, I will," Scott said. "Uh, Danny, you should go find Jackson. I think they're in Allison's room."

Danny and Stiles exchanged a quick look and then Danny turned to head up the stairs. Derek helped Erica to her feet and Stiles moved to offer his arm. She leaned up against him and Stiles bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from making a sound when his fingers creaked under her harsh grip.

It pissed him off that he was being shoved out, especially since it seemed they had just gained some unexpected allies, but that didn't last long. Not when Erica was shaking like a leaf and clenching her arm over her stomach tighter with every step. He helped her into the passenger seat and then got into the driver's side. Erica slumped back and closed her eyes as Stiles began to drive.

"So...I guess you took quite a beating," Stiles said. "But Boyd's back, yeah?"

"The one good thing to come out of this," Erica said. She didn't seem too happy though, but Stiles supposed that could've been blamed on the amount of pain she was in. "I want to go to your place by the way. Since it's up to me."

"My dad's gonna be home," Stiles said. "He might ask questions."

"Then I'll lie." Erica gave a short, choppy laugh. "It's far from the worst thing I've done today."

"And that means what exactly?" Stiles glanced over at her.

Erica just shook her head though. When they reached Stiles' house, he hopped out first and grabbed his bags before heading in to talk to his dad. The Sheriff was at the kitchen table as usual, surrounded by papers and so immersed in it all that he didn't notice Stiles at first.

"Uh, Dad? Hi."

"Didn't hear you get in. Sorry," John said. He set aside a stack of papers and looked up at him. "What's up?"

"I just uh, picked Erica up. She had a rough night and just wanted to lay low here for a while. If that's okay." Stiles ran a hand through his hair. "And I swear I'll answer whatever questions you want later but just...can she come in and relax for a bit?"

Stiles thought his dad was going to protest or demand answers right then, but John just sighed and nodded before turning back to his work. Stiles went back to the car to help Erica in, refusing to meet his dad's eyes when they walked passed him to reach the stairs.

The stairs themselves were a challenge. Erica's breathing was pained, and more than once he felt her claws sink into his arm only to retract as she realized what she was doing. When they made it to his room, Stiles helped Erica crawl under his covers and then he patted her hair in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Look, I gotta shower real quick and then I'll be right back," Stiles said.

Erica nodded, curling up against his pillow. "See you in a bit, Batman."

-.-

"Derek, Chris, if you could both take a seat I will happily begin mediating this conversation," Deaton said. "And yes, Scott, before you ask Boyd is doing fine now."

Scott managed a wary smile and then moved to let Derek sit beside him as Chris took a seat next to Isaac. Olivia and Tobias still had unreadable expressions on their faces, their heartbeats slow, but there was a slight tension in the line of Tobias' shoulders that worried him.

"Olivia, Tobias, will your pack stay under you power without an actual Alpha?" Deaton asked.

"I will make them," Tobias said.

"Allow me to clarify. I need to know if that's something we can count on," Deaton said. "We can't really negotiate what happens now if we don't know if you'll even have a pack."

Tobias opened his mouth to retort, eyes flashing gold, but then Olivia placed a hand on his arm. The man deflated almost immediately.

"There were many reasons Marisa wished for me to also become an Alpha. Increased strength, protection, authority, all of it," Olivia said. "But it was also the only way to ensure my survival in the pack if she were ever to die."

"You aren't a born werewolf, are you?" Chris asked. "The Casia Pack is full of purists, if I remember correctly. They wouldn't stand for a bitten werewolf among them unless they were an Alpha."

Scott frowned. "Purists?"

"Our pack does not accept bitten werewolves," Tobias said. "They are not seen as true, or pure. There was a lot of dissent when Marisa adopted Olivia as her sister, but she made them stay together through sheer force of will. Some have accepted Olivia. Others have not. If Olivia were to become an Alpha, they would all likely fall in line."

"When were you bitten?" Scott asked.

"When I was eight. Some insane Alpha killed my parents and bit me. Marisa saved me before he could go further than that," Olivia said. "Apparently he was the only survivor of a pack the Casia Pack had destroyed and he'd been driven mad with grief."

"So long story short, Tobias might be able to hold them together for a little while, but unless an Alpha takes charge, they'll leave," Chris said. "Do I have that right?"

Tobias' hands curled into fists. "Yes, you are correct."

"So what are your plans then? Will you stay here?" Deaton asked.

"At least long enough to kill Peter," Olivia said.

"This is all about power for you, isn't it?" Derek asked. "You want to steal Marisa's power back from Peter."

"Don't you dare assume to know my motives," Olivia said, getting to her feet. "I was going to kill you. An Alpha of a band of  _teenagers_? How hard could it be? And yeah, I want Jackson's head on a stick because it's his fault this happened, but my biggest concern right now is Peter. If I become an Alpha, I can hold my pack together, and that's just a bonus. Marisa would want me to avenge her, and that's what I want too."

"So say you become an Alpha and regain control of your pack. What will you do?" Deaton asked.

Olivia clenched her jaw tight. "I'd be willing to talk. But that's it. I'm not guaranteeing peace. My sister is dead because of you and I-"

"No. She's not dead because of us," Derek said. He got to his feet but he didn't attempt to advance on her. "She's dead because you got cocky and thought you were invincible because no matter what your past is, you're still a teenager. Peter is obsessed with becoming an Alpha. He would've managed it with or without our involvement. Neither you nor your sister were prepared so you have no one to blame but yourselves and him. Misplaced anger is only going to make it worse for you."

"You don't know any-"

Tobias grabbed Olivia's wrist, his gaze fixed on Derek. "No he does. His actions killed his whole family after all. Perhaps it is wise if, this once, you trust what he is saying."

Scott stared down at the floor. Tobias was right after all. If anyone knew what it was like to be Olivia in that moment, it was Derek.

"I'm not going to forgive you for what happened to Boyd, but I'm going to try and stop you from repeating my mistakes. No one deserves that," Derek said.

Olivia's lower lip trembled, a few tears tracking down her cheeks. She folded back down against Tobias, burying her face against his chest as her shoulders shook.

"I would like to suggest a truce then," Deaton said, glancing between Tobias and Derek. "At least until Peter is brought to justice. I'm not saying you should work together; it would be in bad taste for me to suggest that given the circumstances. But Peter is a threat, and so are the hunters. If you aren't going to unite, at least stop trying to get each other killed."

"We can agree to that," Tobias said.

For a moment, Scott thought Derek was going to disagree, try and protect Peter, but Derek just nodded.

"Good," Deaton said. "Now, Olivia, Tobias, I can take you home and help with Marisa's body. Is that acceptable?"

Tobias got to his feet, cradling Olivia to his chest. "Yes, your help is appreciated."

"Derek, please come find me next time you are able," Deaton said. "Thank you, Chris, for allowing the use of your home. We will continue our conversation at a later date."

Chris gave a short nod and then Deaton ushered Tobias and Olivia out of the house. Scott released a tight breath, slumping back against the couch.

"Jesus Christ," Scott mumbled.

"So what now?" Isaac asked.

"Allison will be back soon with food," Chris said, standing up. "You're all welcome to stay. I don't mind."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "You're actually serious."

Chris clapped Derek on the shoulder as he walked passed him for the kitchen. "Pretty pointless to hang on to my prejudices these days."

Scott got to his feet, wincing as the cut across his torso twinged in pain. "I need to go home. My mom needs to know what's going on and so does Stiles."

Derek nodded. "Okay. Take care of yourself and let me know if you need anything." As Scott walked by, Derek caught his arm and pulled him into a hesitant and somewhat stiff hug before pushing him towards the door. "Go home."

-.-

Jackson kept waiting for his eyes to dry up but after an hour, he was still crying and Lydia's hand running through his hair barely did anything to calm him down. He didn't think it was possible to feel as bad as he did and still be alive. The nightmares of ripping innocent life from the fragile bodies of Matt's enemies had nothing on the gnawing guilt in his chest from what he had done to Boyd and had allowed Peter to do to Marisa.

It was just confirmation of what Jackson had known all along. He could only hide behind the love of his packmates for so long. He was a killer, willing to betray and torture his packmate. He had always known he wasn't worthy of love, not from his adopted parents, not from anyone, and now they would all finally see why.

"How long has he been like this?" Danny's voice was muffled and far away. How could Danny stand to even be in the same room as him?

"Too long. I can't really bring him out of it," Lydia said. "Why can't I bring him out of it? I always..."

"What exactly happened? Everyone was really vague on all the details."

"He beat Boyd raw," Lydia said. Her voice was rough from her own tears. "Only way to keep them both alive but..."

"Does he know Boyd's okay? Is he okay?" Danny asked.

"He's fine, Deaton and Chris were taking care of him last I knew. But you know how Jackson is. It doesn't matter if Boyd's okay, he'll still blame himself."

The bed dipped and Jackson turned his face into Lydia's thigh when Danny tried to get Jackson to look at him. Danny snorted and settled for rubbing the back of his neck. He was dimly aware of Lydia pulling away from him and then he was being tugged into Danny's arms and onto the taller's lap, lips pressing tight against his temple.

"Jackson, it's not your fault."

Jackson shook his head, fists curling in Danny's shirt as he bit hard at his lip.  _Of course it's my fault. All I'm good for is hurting and killing._

"Lydia, food's ready," Allison said.

Lydia shifted off the bed, taking with her the comfort of her scent. Danny pulled him even closer though and rubbed his back with warm hands. Jackson could hear his heart stuttering, could tell how nervous and scared Danny was and he wished he could make it stop because it only made him worry more.

"I don't know what happened but you did what you needed to get you both out of there alive. That's what's important, and I'm sure Boyd knows that," Danny said.

"Y-You weren't there."

Danny stiffened but didn't stop stroking Jackson's back. "Wanna tell me what happened?"

Jackson squeezed his eyes shut, clamping hard down on the memories. It was hard. It had only happened a few hours ago and already it was jumbled up with memories of a screaming women, begging for her life, of a scared a trembling hand as the life was crushed out of a man's body.

"Jackson?"

"It's all my fault," Jackson said, voice strained. "It always is. If I was better, if I wasn't so messed up I could figure out something else. I would stop getting everyone killed, I'd stop hurting them and they...they all beg you know?"

Danny's heart raced harder. "Jackson..."

"All of them. I remember that part. Hell, I remember begging Gerard to let me live, just in my head though because he wouldn't let me talk," Jackson continued. He could feel Danny getting uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but be comforted by it. After all, the more disgusted Danny was with him, the better off he'd be. As long as Danny stayed far away from him, Jackson would never hurt him, never try to kill him. "Boyd begged too. Right before he passed out. But I just hit him again."

"It's not your fault."

"How can you say that?" Jackson shoved Danny away, almost tumbling off Allison's bed in the process. "You're not even lying, I can tell. Did you not listen to what I just said?"

"Yeah, I listened, and news flash Jackson, all of those things were completely out of your control," Danny said. His gaze was stubborn when it met Jackson's and Jackson couldn't help but drop his gaze back down to the bedspread. "None of it's your fault. I don't know what I have to do to convince you."

Jackson shook his head, about to argue further, but then the bedroom door eased open. He turned around to see Boyd hovering in the doorway, supported by both Lydia and Allison.

"You know you freaking out up here is really hindering my healing process," Boyd said. His voice was raw and cracked a bit but there was a tentative smile on his lips that Jackson couldn't recall ever having been directed at him, not that he'd ever really deserved one.

"Boyd-"

"I forgive you dumbass, now shut up and help me onto the bed so Lydia can go get some food," Boyd said.

Jackson scrambled to his feet and slung Boyd's arm over his shoulders, taking all of the beta's weight. With Jackson and Danny's assistance, they managed to get Boyd situated in the middle of the bed with Danny and Jackson on either side of him. Jackson swallowed his embarrassment and gave in his urge to sniff over Boyd's neck, checking for any remaining scent of pain or hurt.

Boyd wrapped an arm tight around Jackson's shoulder and Jackson went limp against Boyd's broader chest. Not many people could make Jackson feel small; he didn't like the feeling after all, but with Boyd it felt okay, especially since it meant he could hear the other beta's steady heartbeat beneath his ear. Danny's hand stretched out to trail over Jackson's shoulder and Jackson relaxed further.

He was aware that Lydia and Allison returned with food, but he barely stirred as they arranged themselves around the room and everyone began to eat, content to just stay where he was and fall asleep.

-.-

Scott pulled himself out of his mom's car, hand dropping down to the wound in his chest. He could feel it healing but there was still blood seeping through his shirt. When he got inside the house, an unfamiliar scene assaulted his senses and he struggled to keep the wolf under control. Every part of him was already on edge from the fight and seeing Boyd so damaged, and it almost made the scent of an intruder too much.

He slumped back against the closed front door, trying to calm his heart rate and retract his claws. His mother's voice was hushed and he could hear her speaking quickly, anger threaded in each word. A louder voice interrupted, a voice that was all too familiar. His anger spiked again and he couldn't help but slam his fist back against the door.

The voices went silent.

"Scott?" Melissa called out.

Scott sucked in a deep breath, bowing his head as he reigned the wolf back in. Melissa entered the front hallway and after one look at him, grabbed his arm and tugged him down the hall to the bathroom.

"What is he doing here?" Scott hissed out, turning against the far wall and resting his forehead against it.

"I'll explain as soon as you lose the fangs and claws. Now is really not the time to lose it," Melissa said. She grabbed his shoulders and made him turn around. "Are you bleeding? Why are you bleeding?"

"Got in a fight with an Alpha," Scott said, wincing as he curled forward at another twinge of pain. "It's not healing very well."

"Yeah I can see that," Melissa said, kneeling down and opening the cabinet doors to pull out bandages and a washcloth. "Shirt off. I'll patch you up and get you a new shirt so your father doesn't completely lose it."

"I wish he would. Then I could claim self-defense." The words left his mouth before he could think them all the way through and he cringed at the expression on his mom's face. "Sorry, I don't...mean it."

"I know." Her heartbeat skipped as she spoke.

Scott took his shirt off, shoving the guilt aside to deal with later. To her credit, Melissa didn't flinch at the ragged claw marks from his right collarbone down to his left hip, only wetting a washcloth to begin cleaning.

"I've seriously got the best mom ever," Scott said as she worked.

"I've been fixing you up for years, this is just on a larger scale," she said with a wavering smile.

"So he's here why exactly?" Scott asked.

Melissa set aside the washcloth and began to bandage him up. "The Sheriff called in help from the FBI. Unfortunately, he's the one that got assigned," Melissa said. "I'm sorry, I should've warned you as soon as he stopped by."

"No, it's fine, I was a bit pre-occupied anyways," Scott said.

"You going to tell me what exactly happened?"

"We saved Boyd, Peter killed the Alpha of the Casia Pack. The Casia Pack is no longer interested in killing us, just Peter," Scott said.

Melissa raised her eyebrows. "Productive morning then."

"Minus Peter becoming an Alpha, I guess so," Scott said.

"I said productive, not good," Melissa said. "Are you okay now? As far as the whole werewolf rage thing goes."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not going to hurt him," Scott said. "Is the cut on my cheek still there?"

Melissa wiped away the blood with the washcloth. "It's gone. Just...try not to look like there's a gaping wound in your chest."

Scott's laugh took him by surprise, and it made his chest throb but it was bearable. "How did this become my life?"

Melissa laughed too before reaching out and hugging Scott tight. "Honestly, sweetie, it doesn't matter. I'm still proud of you, no matter what anyone says and that includes your father."

Scott felt something in his chest loosen at her words. Somehow, his mom was always able to make him feel better, like getting through everything was actually possible. "So you can distract him and I'll go get a shirt  _not_ soaked in blood."

"Great plan." Melissa threw the supplies back in the sink cabinet and then opened the bathroom door.

Rafael McCall stood just beyond the doorway, his suit cut perfectly to the lines of his body, hands shoved in his pockets with one smug eyebrow raised. "Well, this is unexpected."

"Get. Out." Melissa's voice burned with anger.

"My son is bandaged and bleeding. I'm not going anywhere until you explain some of this," Rafael said. "If you even can. What, did he join a gang? You can't control him can you?"

"She doesn't have to explain anything," Scott said, putting himself between her and Rafael. "I'm not your son. You're not my dad. She said get out so that's what you're going to do."

"I don't think so. I'm here because of a possible mass murderer, or if we're lucky, just a serial killer. You're looking pretty suspicious so how about you answer my questions or I just go ahead and detain you," Rafael said.

"You know, maybe if my mom hadn't kicked you out, I probably would've turned into some crazy gangster serial killer or whatever the hell it is you're implying, but thankfully, she actually knows how to raise a decent human being," Scott said. "So you wanna know how I got this?"

"Scott," Melissa began.

"My friend and I got jumped. Someone got a lucky hit with his knife. You can stop using your fancy government title to threaten us now," Scott said. He shoved Rafael out of the way, pushing him back enough so Melissa could get out of the bathroom.

"You really expect me to believe that? I've been in a knife fight, Scott, and those injuries aren't that wide," Rafael said.

"Good for you. You're  _such_  a hero." Scott grabbed Rafael's arm and tugged him towards the door. "And fine, it wasn't a knife, it was a mountain lion."

Melissa opened the door and Scott pushed Rafael over the threshold.

"If you don't believe me, go get a warrant. You're not special and you're not above the law."

"I am-"

Scott shut the door before Rafael could finish his sentence.

"A mountain lion? Really?" Melissa shook her head, shoulders shaking from her laughter. "I could've handled him myself. I've thrown him out before."

"I know, and you're a total badass. But I can help you now, so let me."

Melissa smiled. "Alright. I won't complain."

-.-

Stiles left his hair a mess of wet spikes, giving up on completely toweling it dry before tugging on some sweats and a t-shirt. Erica was still awake, though she'd barely moved from where he'd left her. She pushed back the covers for Stiles to join her and after he climbed beneath them, she wiggled close and tangled their legs together.

She tucked her face against his neck, but not before he snuck a look at her injuries. The bruises were beginning to fade, and by the time they talked to his dad, Stiles was pretty sure they'd be gone entirely. That would be hard to explain, but he was getting tired of making excuse after excuse anyways.

"Feeling any better?"

"No, but my face still feels like one huge bruise so..." Erica mumbled.

Stiles looped an arm over her side. "Yeah, I heard that can put a damper on the feeling okay bit. Do you wanna...talk?"  
"Not really but...it's probably better if I do. Isaac keeps telling me that the whole communication thing has been working out well for him so I figured I should try it," Erica said.

Despite her words though, she remained silent for several minutes. He wasn't sure what to do, what to say, or where to begin. Even jokes in bad taste were pretty much impossible to try and make.

"I tried to kill her." Erica's words were so quiet Stiles almost missed them. "I almost did. I would have if Marisa hadn't stopped me."

"You mean Olivia? Not really a person anyone would miss," Stiles said. Despite his words though, he knew what she meant, what she was feeling. After all, it's what he'd spent the last twenty-four hours freaking out about; his ability to kill. Erica was just much closer to actually doing the deed.

"Peter killed Marisa though. Just. Slashed her throat open right in front of me." Erica began to shake, fists curling against Stiles' chest. "All I wanted to do was comfort her, you know? I'd just promised to kill her and all I wanted to do was make her stop crying."

Stiles chest tightened. "It's okay. I get it, a little at least. But...you have to do what's necessary to survive."

"It wasn't survival. I could've just tied her up but I kept going. I wanted her dead, Stiles, I'm as good as a killer. I must be."

Erica's voice broke off into a hiccupping sob and Stiles tugged her upright as she began to cry. This wasn't like the post full moon tears he was used to. Stiles knew how to put her back together then, but there was a difference between spending a night with her walls blown wide and her emotions running close to the surface, and realizing she was a killer.

What was going through her mind was too close to what he was feeling, and he couldn't just lie to make her feel better when he couldn't even lie to himself.

There was a soft knock on the door and before Stiles could move, Scott eased the door open. He shut it behind him and climbed onto the bed to sit next to him. Stiles shrugged helplessly when Scott directed a questioning look at Erica. Scott grabbed Erica's arm and tugged her over. She relaxed almost immediately, her sobs tapering off into whimpers as Scott rubbed her back.

"Magical werewolf powers," Scott said as way of explanation. "I'm assuming. Your dad's looking pretty pissed by the way."

"How'd you even know we'd come here?" Stiles asked.

"I know you and I know Erica," Scott said. "Not that hard to figure out really. So you think you're going to tell him? Your dad I mean."

"About all...this?" Stiles looked down at Erica who was no longer even shaking, soothed by Scott's presence. "I should. I don't even know where to begin."

"I'll help. You know I will, and so will Erica," Scott said.

Stiles groaned, thunking his head against Scott's shoulder. "I'm way too tired to deal with all of this, I swear to god. But we should probably go do it shouldn't we?"

"Yeah," Scott said, ruffling Stiles hair with his free hand. "If it makes you feel any better I'm pretty much screwed in the parent department too. You know those FBI guys your dad called in?"

"Shit."

"Yeah, my dad's definitely back in town," Scott said.

Erica rolled onto her back, sliding her hands around Scott's waist as she looked up at him. "Well aren't we a bundle of good news?"

"It's going to work out," Scott said, brushing Erica's hair back and placing his hand on her cheek gently.

Stiles watched as he drew some of the pain out of her and Erica's eyes slid shut before she turned her face once more into Scott's thigh.

"I just worry that if I tell him...he'll try and do something stupid and heroic like arrest the Grossmans without us having any...actual proof," Stiles said. "And then having the Grossmans lose it. Chris did say they haven't exactly cared about murdering a police officer here or there."

"And my dad being here certainly complicates things," Scott said. "But you can't really afford to keep lying to him."

"Yeah, it really sucks," Erica said. She reached out to run her hand up and down Stiles' shin. "Pretty sure my parents are debating if it'd be productive to send me off to one of those 'troubled teen' facilities or whatever."

Stiles grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. "No offense, but I really don't think my dad's crazy enough to do something like that."

"Just...I'd tell him. But he's not my dad so I might have no idea what I'm talking about," Erica said. "Scott's right though. We're both here if you need help with it."

"Maybe...not yet," Stiles said. "I can't...maybe once we know what's going on with Olivia and Peter I can."

"Shit, Peter," Scott said. "I keep forgetting. Who knows what the hell he's going to do now that he's an Alpha again."

"I swear to God if he comes after me or my dad or anyone I'm going to do something really stupid," Stiles said. "And probably die because I'm doing pretty well with Deaton's lessons but I mean...he killed an Alpha. A strong Alpha."

Erica curled in closer to them. "I wanna be a kid again."

Stiles looked down at her. "Me too." He took another deep breath and then released Erica's hand. "Scott, call your mom and get her over. I just need to do this and get it over with. He's gotta know what's going on. He's safer that way, especially if Peter's on the loose again."

Scott fished his phone out of his pocket. "You got it."

Erica sat up and then moved so that she could hug Stiles tight. Stiles tucked his chin against her shoulder and tried not to think too hard about what he was doing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sheriff finally learns the truth about Beacon Hills, Chris evaluates Stiles' abilities, Erica and Lydia let off some steam, and Boyd helps Allison through an identity crisis. Oh and Peter fucks everything up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I attempted to write some F/F smut in this chapter between Lydia and Erica. First time I've attempted that so I hope it doesn't suck. Next chapter's going to be really action packed just so you all know. Hope you enjoy. Also I'm too lazy to fix the formatting right now so sorry, maybe later.

[The Tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

   

"So you're out all night because you're fighting werewolves, werewolf hunters, and were-lizards?"

Stiles coughed. "Kanima, not...were-lizard."

The look his father gave him was enough to kill, but Stiles glanced away before it could do so.

"And you want me to just _let_ you keep doing that?" he asked.

"So you _do_ believe me," Stiles said.

John's gaze flicked over to where werewolf Scott sat beside his mother. "We're a bit passed that part don't you think?"

"Yeah, good point," Stiles said, ducking his head.

"Melissa, you've known about this for how long now?" John asked.

"Almost a year now," Melissa said. "And yes, before you ask, I _do_ just let them keep doing what they do because there is nothing you or I could do to stop it or fight off a pack of werewolves."

"You do not have the right to decide what's best for my son!" John's hands slammed down hard on the table and both Scott and Stiles leapt to their feet, backing up to flank either side of Melissa.

Tension crackled in the air and Stiles clenched his jaw tight, steeling himself against the hurt look in his father's eyes. Finally, John sighed and relaxed.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. But you have to understand where I'm coming from. I can't just be okay with all...this." John gestured at the chessboard on the dining room table, bright sticky tabs with names and labels on the various pieces organized in Stiles' haphazard way. "What you're doing is dangerous and you're not trained."

"Actually I am." Stiles pointed at the Deaton piece that was grouped with his own piece and Danny's. "Just not in the way you are."

"And what about these werewolf hunters? The Grossmans. I'm just supposed to sit by and let you deal with them? Fight them? Ki-"

"No one's killing anyone," Scott said. "They can't attack the Argents which means they can't attack us. As long as they don't feel threatened anyway."

"This is ridiculous. You can't just operate outside the law," John said.

Stiles sat back down. "Actually, they can, and they have been for years, dad. We can take care of this without anyone else getting hurt."

"Okay, so say you can count these hunters out as a threat. What about Peter Hale?" John asked, pointing at Peter's bishop piece.

"That's something we'll deal with," Scott said, the werewolf bits bleeding away to his normal features.

"Scott, you're not a killer," John said.

"Of course he isn't," Melissa said. "But Peter Hale isn't exactly someone you or I could deal with even if we wanted to. Let Derek deal with that mess, that's my motto."

Scott snorted, shaking his head, but Melissa had an easy smile on her face. Stiles looked back at his dad, urging him to see that it was going to be okay. The world may have shifted under his feet but it wasn't about to crumble.

"I need time to think this through," John said, head bowed. "It's difficult to really have this conversation now."

"Well we're not about to vanish on you," Melissa said. "Trust me, I know what you're feeling and I know how much it just _sucks_ , but I also know what our kids are capable of and they can handle themselves."

"But they shouldn't have to! They're just kids," John said.

"We haven't been kids in a long time," Scott said. "And you don't have to be okay with it but we can't just pretend we didn't go through what we did."

"Stiles can stay with us tonight if you still want space," Melissa said. "Erica too."

"Is she okay?" John asked, voice growing quiet.

"She's healing," Scott said. "She actually wanted to be down here but I didn't want the stress to make it worse and prevent her from healing. When we're worried about each other, sometimes we can't heal..."

"You're just okay with her being that hurt?"

"Sheriff, I have a gaping wound in my chest that my mom patched up for me. Getting hurt is part of what we do, but we'll always heal, even if some things take a little longer," Scott said. "No, I'm _not_ okay with her being hurt, but I can keep her safe while she heals and take care of her the way my mom takes care of me."

"Stiles can't heal the way you do," John said.

"There is a reason we do the fighting," Scott said. "Stiles is just learning how to fight if someone manages to get passed us."

It was a lie, but Stiles found it stung less than usual lies did. What was one lie in the face of finally revealing so many truths?

John sighed. "Okay. Okay. I'll stop asking so many questions. I need to wrap my mind around this. We'll talk more later. All of us."

For some reason, the idea that his dad didn't want to talk with just him, that his dad didn't trust his words alone and needed Scott and Melissa's confirmation, stung. He supposed he couldn't really be mad though. It made sense. Stiles hadn't exactly been the best or most trust-worthy son after all.

John got to his feet and walked around the table to hug Stiles. A bit of the tension in his chest loosened and he went limp in his father's arms, comforted in knowing that despite the issue of trust, he was still loved. John squeezed Stiles' shoulder once and then moved back to look at Melissa and Scott.

"Thank you for coming and helping Stiles tell me this," he said.

Scott just smiled. "That's what family does."

 

-.-

 

Chris knocked on the locked door to the vet's clinic. He'd called in advance to ensure Deaton would actually be there to discuss the new information provided by Logan. He wasn't as prepared to trust him as Allison was but it had only taken a few phone calls to confirm that Henno Streiter had been operating the last few years as the Grossman's Champion whenever necessary. It certainly didn't bode well for their chances.

Of course having a house full of werewolves and a banshee didn't really help his nerves. He had told Allison it was okay for her to join the pack, and he'd meant it, but it was hard having it rubbed in his face. Isaac alone was fine; he'd had all summer to get used to the werewolf's presence in the basement reading. He jerked himself out of his thoughts when Deaton appeared to unlock the door.

"I am still of the belief that Stilinski should be present for this conversation," Deaton said. "But I'm willing to humor you after today. You've grown out of the shoot first, ask questions later attitude. You proved that."

Chris followed Deaton back to his office. "Thanks I guess."

Deaton flipped the light on and then leaned up against his desk, arms folding across his chest. "So what's changed? What do you know about their Champion?"

"His name is Henno Streiter. I'm sure that you've heard of his reputation," Chris said as he shut the office door.

"Yes, the name is familiar," Deaton said. "I believe Stiles will be fine."

"You can't be serious. Unless you want Stiles to end up dead," Chris said. "I trained under that man. I know what he can do, what he's capable of."

"I want no such thing for Stiles, but I think your experience has clouded your judgment," Deaton said. "Streiter is no pushover but he's cocky, and a lot like Kate, actually. If Stiles' plays it right, and we prepare correctly, we won't have a problem."

"That's a lot of ifs to place on a kid. This is Stiles we're talking about, not Scott or even Allison," Chris said.

"He's strong, and he's got the pack bond on his side," Deaton said. "If it will give you peace of mind, you can sit in on our next training session and see for yourself what Stiles is capable of already."

"You're underestimating Streiter-"

"I don't think I am," Deaton said. "Streiter was in a position of power above you. Everyone seems intimidating then. You have to start letting them make their own choices."

"They don't even know what they're getting into."

Deaton straightened. "So be their guide. That's all we're here for really."

"He's going to get himself killed," Chris insisted.

"Give him a chance to prove himself. Then feel free to worry. For now, don't you have a home and a pack of vulnerable teenagers to look after?"

Chris couldn't bring himself to meet Deaton's gaze. "You're right. I..."

"Things are changing. It's hard, especially for someone with Gerard as their father, to adjust. We have to let them make their own choices but we still need to be strong for them," Deaton said.

"You know, I didn't come here to be lectured on how to take care of my daughter and her friends," Chris said.

Deaton gave a short laugh. "Yes well I have a habit of giving people advice whether they want it or not."

"I don't know why. You're only a veterinarian," Chris said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"I'm glad someone understands," Deaton said with a shake of his head.

"Tell me, honestly," Chris said as he reopened the office door. "Do you think we have to worry about Olivia and Tobias?"

Deaton put his hands in his pockets. "No. Peter is your greatest threat. He did a lot of damage before, and he was only just getting started then. He's been gaining traction for almost a year now. You'll have to be careful. All of you."

Chris' hand tightened on the door handle and then he forced himself out of the room and out to his car. Deaton had offered him some clarity sure, it was the man's job after all. Of course, naturally, that didn't make him feel any better.

 

-.-

 

_Danny: Jackson's finally calmed down. I'm going to stay with him at his house though._

Stiles rubbed his thumb over his phone screen before exiting out of Danny's message and shoving it in his pocket. He was stretched out beside Scott on Scott's bed, eyes tired from trying not to cry the whole way through their discussion with his dad. Scott's hand was playing with his hair, soothing in its own way.

"Is that Danny?" Scott asked.          

"Yeah, just letting me know he's going home with Jackson," Stiles said. "I guess he's really not okay. He's still a prick though."

Scott snorted and shoved at Stiles' head. "He's not that bad, you just haven't given him a chance."

"Yeah, whatever," Stiles said.

Scott sat up and glanced down at him. "You know I didn't notice until just now, but you totally smell like Danny. How did I not notice that?"

"It's been a bit of a hectic day," Stiles said, a flush rising up to his ears. "And it's a recent development so I mean..."

"Yeah?" Scott nudged him. "You can't just leave it like that. What happened?"

Stiles turned his face into his upper arm. "A lot. I freaked out about this whole Champion fight thing and the...me potentially becoming a killer."

Scott deflated. "What do you mean?"

"It's not a big deal now, Danny and I talked it out," Stiles said. "But after that we you know...made out. Because that fixes everything I guess. I don't know, we've been spending a ton of time together with Deaton. It was kind of inevitable."

"Nice to know Danny's relaxing into the whole pack thing," Scott said. "At least with you. But you're not-"

"A killer, yeah I know, Danny's been telling me that," Stiles said. "Look, it's not a big deal. We have other things to worry about."

Erica opened Scott's bathroom door, toweling her wet hair. "It is a big deal. Sorry for listening in, it was kind of hard not to."

Stiles sat up, edging towards the end of the bed, legs dangling over the edge. "I'm used to it."

"It helps to know someone else is worried as I am about it," Erica said, tossing the towel on the ground and moving to step between Stiles' legs. "You're not going to become a killer Stiles. I won't let you and you won't let me. All you gotta do is be Batman. Batman never kills."

Stiles wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead on her shoulder. "Oh, that's all?"

Erica dropped a kiss on top of his head and then pulled back. "Lydia's going to pick me up after she drops Danny and Jackson off at Danny's. I'm stealing your sweatpants though, Scott."

"No worries," Scott said. "You look better."

"How about you?" she asked, glancing at Scott's chest. "Are you healing?"

"Yeah," Scott said. "Don't worry about me."

Erica gave Scott a quick hug before picking up her old clothes and heading out of the door.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Scott asked, moving up to sit besides Stiles at the end of the bed. "I mean, I know I've been distant with everything but you can still talk to me if you need to."

Stiles elbowed Scott in the side. "I know that. We've both had a lot on our plate."

"Speaking of..." Scott got to his feet, a boyish grin on his face that Stiles hadn't seen in awhile. "Think you could take me on?"

Stiles got to his feet and snagged up Scott's lacrosse stick. "I don't know." He spun it a few times, grinning when he met Scott's eyes. "Let's find out."

           

-.-

 

"You're thinking too loudly."

Allison stopped tapping her pen against the desk and glanced over at Boyd, who was still stretched out on her bed. "Well I _am_ doing homework."

Boyd raised an eyebrow.

Allison narrowed her eyes. " _What?_ "

"You haven't turned the page in over ten minutes. So what's bugging you?" Boyd asked.

 "That's actually a question? Everything is wrong. Literally," Allison said.

"Look, I'm just asking because Lydia cares about you and Erica's forgiven you. I haven't, but that doesn't mean I hate you and your dad's nice enough to let me stay so I'm not about to be rude," Boyd said, sitting up.

"So you're nice to me because of Lydia? Well, isn't that just _so_ surprising." Allison tossed her pen on the desk and slammed the book shut before getting to her feet. "You all care so much about her and she just gives and gives and gives to all of you. Do you ever stop to take care of her?"

"Of course we do. It's how a pack works. Clearly you haven't realized that yet," Boyd said.

"Fuck you," Allison said, unable to tamp down on the anger rising in her chest. "I'm a hunter. It takes a little while to adjust to all of this okay? And you know what? You may be there for her sometimes, but it's _me_ she turns to when she's scared so don't act like you do more than I do."

She expected him to get mad. Isaac would, and there was no doubt Erica would react violently too, but Boyd's eyes didn't even turn yellow. He leaned forward on his knees, head tilting to the side as he stared right into her eyes.

Allison drew back, straightening a bit. "What?"

"You're jealous," Boyd said. "Of Erica if I had to guess."

"Oh really?" Allison raised an eyebrow. "And where the _hell_ did you get that idea?"

"Erica and Lydia kissed. Erica told me," Boyd said. "Texted me actually, a few minutes ago. If I had to guess, that makes you angry."

"No it doesn't. I don't care who she kisses," Allison said, flushing. She _didn't_.

"Well that's a lie," Boyd said. "I thought you hunters knew how to control your heartbeat."

Allison's flush grew and she ducked her head. "I'm not jealous. I'm not a lesbian or whatever."

"Yeah and I'm not gay but I've kissed Isaac before," Boyd said with a shrug. "Not really my thing but sometimes it still happens."

"She's my best friend. That's all," Allison said.

"So why are you so angry about her and Erica?"

Allison sat down on the edge of the bed. "Because..." She didn't know, not really. She didn't know why it bugged her, just that it did and she wanted to shove Erica away and show Lydia that she cared about her the most, that _she_ was the one that loved Lydia unconditionally, and she didn't need a pack bond to tell her something that was just a fact of life and- "Holy shit I think I'm a little gay."

Boyd patted her once on the shoulder before flopping back on the bed. "There you go. Now go do your homework."

Allison turned to look at him. "You can't just-"

Boyd interrupted her with an exaggerated snore.

Allison narrowed her eyes and got to her feet to head back to her desk. She'd show him. She wasn't going to freak out over the stupid revelation and she was going to do her goddamn homework and then he'd see. She was adaptable. She could adjust. She was Allison Argent.

When she sat down, she slumped forward, head thunking against the desk. "Oh my God."

Boyd snickered.

Allison tossed a pen at him.

 

-.-

 

Lydia woke up the next morning with Erica nuzzling her neck and giving it sleepy kisses. She gave a contented sigh and ran her fingers through Erica's hair before snuggling deeper into the warmth of her covers. It was easy to forget how things had gone horribly wrong when she was in the warmth of her bed and Erica's arms.

"You and Isaac are seriously the world's biggest puppies," Lydia said.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Erica said.

Erica slung a leg over Lydia's waist and slid up to straddle her completely, her hair creating a blonde curtain around them. Lydia settled her hands on Erica's hips, thumbs sliding up beneath her shirt to rub over the swell of her hip, all smooth skin.

"You know I still don't know what I'm doing," Lydia said. She wasn't nervous though, because it was Erica and she knew she didn't have to prove herself. "I hope you're a good teacher."

"Oh, I'm _excellent_." Erica grinned and then ducked her head to lick a stripe up Lydia's neck and nibble at her earlobe. "Need to get you a school girl outfit."

Lydia laughed, pushing Erica back. "Yeah, sweetie that's never gonna happen. Wouldn't mind you in one though."

"I have one," Erica said, murmuring against her lips in a soft kiss. "I stole it from this girl I messed around with just after Derek bit me. Figured it might come in handy."

"You're unbelievable," Lydia said, one hand sliding up the smooth skin of Erica's back. "And you're breaking my sexuality."

Erica smirked against her lips. "Wanna slow down? Think you can handle me?"

Lydia slid her hand out from beneath Erica's shirt so she could fist it in a tangle of blonde locks and yank her head back. "Oh hunny, I can definitely handle you."

Erica let her flip them around, because there was certainly no way Erica would go anywhere she didn't want to. Lydia's nightgown rode up to her thighs as she straddled Erica's waist and she grinned when Erica's hands immediately dropped to the exposed skin, teasing her with light touches. Lydia grabbed them and slid them up further.

"Don't be shy. And don't you dare stop touching me until I say," Lydia said.

Before Erica could say something snarky in response, Lydia pressed their lips together. It was a rougher kiss than before, the careful edge gone in exchange for something more. Erica kissed like it was a battle and she intended to win, and Lydia struggled to keep up with the deep tastes Erica took from her. Despite her words, Lydia couldn't help but let Erica take the lead, more than happy to relinquish the reins as long as she remained on top.

Erica's fingers traced over the hem of her panties, sneaking beneath it only to slide back up to her hips or back down her thighs. Lydia nipped at Erica's lower lip, squirming against her as the touches made her muscles jump in anticipation. Erica smiled into the kiss and then finally trailed over Lydia's slit through the soft cloth of her panties.

It was electric, that touch, and Lydia couldn't help a breathless moan as she broke their lip lock.   

"Fuck you're gorgeous," Erica hissed, leaning up to bite at Lydia's neck.

Erica's touch grew firmer, her fingers sliding down so she could grind the heel of her palm against Lydia's clit. It took her a minute to find the right pressure but once she did, Lydia couldn't continue to hold herself up and fell forward to bury her face in Erica's neck. Erica didn't let up, brushing her lips over Lydia's ear as she nudged her panties aside to slide her fingers over the bare flesh of her entrance.

"You know that school girl outfit may not have mine but I was the one that wore it," Erica whispered.

Lydia curled her hands in the bed sheets beneath Erica, her heart thudding faster as one slim finger slid inside of her. "Yeah?"

"She made me wear it, and I'll wear it for you too," Erica continued, thumb moving to rub over Lydia's clit. "Because you like being in control don't you Lydia? You want me on my knees for you, making sure you feel good."

Lydia bit hard at Erica's neck in answer, sighing as Erica arched up into her, a second finger sneaking in and plunging deep. "Fuck yes, but I'd have to punish you too."

rica's laugh was soft as she sucked a mark into Lydia's neck. "Yeah? But I'm doing such a good job."

"I know you types," Lydia said, kissing her way around Erica's throat as her fingers began to pump a steady rhythm within her, Erica's thumb a steady pressure on her clit, relentless. "Always wanna be put in your place."

Erica sucked in a sharp breath and then twisted them so that she could get her lips on Lydia's. Lydia moaned into the kiss as Erica's fingers rubbed against the perfect spot within her and she wiggled her hips to make the touch firmer, sucking hard at Erica's lip. Erica got the hint and rubbed harder, not seeming to care at how Lydia practically soaked her hand.

"Just like that, don't fucking stop," Lydia whispered.

Lydia pushed herself back up right, riding down onto Erica's hand hard as she closed her eyes. Erica's other hand traced up and down her side before finally sliding up to cup her left breast, thumb flicking lightly over her nipple and coaxing another moan out of Lydia's throat.

Erica drew her fingers out all at once and Lydia felt her legs tremble when they slid up to her clit to give a light, barely there pinch, and then she was coming, jerking forward as it washed over her with no warning. Erica's other hand pet down her back as she rode it out and she was quick to remove her hands from Lydia's sex, not wanting to overwhelm her. Lydia kissed and sucked at Erica's collarbone as she got her breath, hands trailing lazily through Erica's hair.

"Well that's one hell of a wake up," Lydia said.

"I figured we could both do with a little pick me up," Erica said. "And you smell so damn good."

Lydia laughed into Erica's shoulder. "I didn't even get to you yet."

"Oh believe me I'm fine. You can make it up to me later," Erica said.

After a few more minutes of stretching lazily out on top of Erica, Lydia pushed herself up, yawning. "You know I think it freaks Allison out. You and me."

Erica raised a slim eyebrow. "What gives you that idea?"

"I told her we kissed and she got all weird. She never gets weird, not with me," Lydia said, frowning. "I can't really have her...going weird on me."

"She's probably just surprised," Erica said with a shrug. "I wouldn't worry about it. It's Allison. She's gonna love you no matter what you know? She always has, even when we...thought you were killer lizard."

Lydia snorted and slid off of Erica's lap. "I guess you have a point. I should call her. But only after breakfast and a shower. You can join me if you want, I can make it all up to you." She waggled her eyebrows, chest warming at Erica's full-hearted laugh.

"Yeah I am all over that."

Lydia shrugged out of her nightgown before crooking a finger at Erica and disappearing into her bathroom.

 

-.-

 

Stiles climbed out of his jeep, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he headed into the clinic, Scott at his heels. Deaton had texted him to say he needed Stiles to come in for extra training, and Stiles wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it but he knew it was necessary. When he got to the basement, he paused, glancing between Deaton and Chris.

"You've been training with Chris?" Scott asked.

"Uh no, what's going on?" Stiles asked.

"Scott, I need you to go upstairs and run the clinic while we're down here," Deaton said.

Scott hesitated and then brushed his knuckles over Stiles' lower back before heading up the stairs. Stiles folded his arms across his chest and looked over at Chris.

"So is this the part where you tell me that I'm not allowed to be your Champion?" Stiles asked. "Because that really isn't going to happen."

"We have new information, Stiles, and I'm not letting you do this unless I think you can," Chris said. "The Champion for the Grossmans is a man named Henno Streiter. He trained me."

Stiles frowned. "I thought Gerard was your teacher of the killing arts."

"Well, Gerard was never one to spend quality time with us and he didn't mind passing us off to someone else to be trained," Chris said. "I don't think this is a man you're capable of standing up to."

"I believe otherwise," Deaton said. "Chris wants to evaluate your progress and while I think you're capable, I think it's a good idea to have Chris come on and help."

"Great." Stiles couldn't help the way his leg jerked hard against the floor before he pushed passed Chris and Deaton to the rack of sparring staffs. "Allow me to demonstrate how wonderful I am."

Chris was giving him a weird look that made Stiles feel like he was going to jump out of his skin. It made the anger in his chest simmer hotter than normal. It wasn't like he was the biggest fan of Chris, and he wasn't interested in trying to impress the guy because he was the biggest douchebag ever. Maybe it was a bit of an overstatement, but it was still mostly true.

And it wasn't like Stiles was going to miss on an opportunity to smack Chris around.

Stiles squeezed the staff and gave it an experimental twirl before taking his place across the mat from Chris. He glanced over Chris' shoulder to see Deaton, his nerves settling when Deaton gave him a short nod. Chris didn't know him, and Stiles had never been a focus, a threat, to the Argent family. Deaton had spent a month breaking Stiles down so he could build him back up. If Deaton thought he could take Chris on, then he could.

Chris moved forward, swinging at Stiles without warning. Stiles ducked and knocked Chris' staff away before settling into the drills Deaton had jammed into his head, mind racing harder and faster as he tried to combine the different drills together in a way that would take Chris by surprise. No matter how hard he tried though, Chris just met each blow, knocking Stiles further and further back.

Stiles clenched his jaw tight and braced his knees when his heel came up against the wall, barely managing to hold off one of Chris' blows. He sucked in a deep breath and then shoved forward, catching Chris' staff and pivoting so he twisted around Chris before elbowing him hard in the face. Chris gave a muffled noise of pain before his staff whipped out and smacked Stiles in the jaw hard, sending him stumbling, before it cracked into his back as well and knocked him to his knees.

The staff jammed hard against the back of his head and Stiles froze, knuckles turning white around his own staff. Then he sucked in a deep breath and lashed back with his foot, catching Chris ankle before rolling around onto his back and kicking at Chris' knees and getting to his feet. He held his staff out to keep Chris at bay, grinning a bit when he saw blood dripping out of Chris' nose in a steady stream.

For a moment, he thought Chris was going to continue, but Chris just stepped back and headed back for the rack of staffs to return his. Stiles followed suit and then turned towards Deaton to see what the man thought, but as usual the man's expression was mostly unreadable.

"Could be better," Chris said.

Deaton passed him a tissue and Chris tilted his head back as he began to wipe up the blood.

"Yeah, says the guy leaking blood everywhere," Stiles said.

"You're jaw is going to start aching and eating is going to hurt for weeks," Chris said.

Stiles stuck his tongue out at him but winced when his jaw gave an unhappy twinge. "Whatever. If you think I'm so bad then why don't you train me?"

Deaton glanced over at Chris. "That's what I was hoping for. Chris knows quite a lot about Streiter's technique. We can get you prepared together, as long as Chris is satisfied with your progress so far."

Chris wiped once more at his nose before looking at Stiles. "Just answer me something first."

Stiles leaned back against the wall, rubbing his jaw. "Yeah?"

"Why are you so determined to do this?" Chris asked, folding his arms across his chest and meeting Stiles' gaze head on.

Stiles wanted to say something stupid, stop Chris from looking at him with something so close to fondness, but the ache in his jaw, the reminder that he was human, that Chris was just as human as he was...he didn't want to lie. He couldn't. Chris was in this as much as he was, just as deep.

"Because Beacon Hills is my home, and that pack is _my_ pack. I'm not a werewolf, or a hunter, or a banshee, but I can do this. I can help protect them and everyone else, so I'm going to. If you'll let me." Stiles glanced down at the ground. "And because last year, when Gerard dragged me to your basement and beat the shit out of me, I realized I'm not strong. I don't want to be defenseless anymore, and I don't want to be the person everyone has to protect. I want to start doing the protecting. I want to fight the next time someone tries to hurt me or the ones I love."

For a long moment, no one said anything, and Stiles was terrified to even look up to see Chris' expression. Then a hand was gripping his shoulder and squeezing. He looked up, biting his lip as he did so. Chris gave a slow nod and a short smile.

"I did underestimate you. I'm sorry. I'm going to train you and we're going to make sure you come out of there alive, Stiles, no matter what," Chris said.

"Thanks. I'm definitely gonna have a better chance with the guy who trained Allison behind me," Stiles said.

Chris dropped his hand, but before he could say anything else, Scott ran down the stairs.

"Yeah uh, slight problem upstairs, you should probably just come up," Scott said.

Chris and Stiles shared a look before Stiles picked up a staff again and they all headed up the stairs. When they got there, Peter was standing on the other side of the counter, his eyes flashing red for a moment before he smiled.

"Well hello boys," Peter said, twiddling his fingers at them. "Fine morning we're having, don't you think?"

Chris drew his gun and leveled it at Peter's head.

"So that's a no then? That's a shame. I've had a _great_ few days. Assembled the Casia Pack, convinced them I'm a worthy Alpha, and now I only have a few more loose ends to tie up and I can call it a good week's work," Peter said, clapping his hands together once. "And really Chris, the gun isn't nearly as intimidating as you think it is. Honestly, Stilinski with the stick is much more threatening, have you see the things that kid can do with a bat?"

"What do you want Peter?" Scott asked.

"Tell your little hunter friend it's time for the grownups to talk and I'll be more than happy to tell you," Peter said with a pleasant smile.

Scott shoved himself between Chris and Peter. "Chris, lower the gun. He's more useful alive anyways."

"Atta boy Scott. Still loyal to your real Alpha, aren't you?"

Scott snarled, eyes flashing orange but the barrier of mountain ash stopped him from taking a single step. Stiles reached forward and grabbed Scott's shoulder, yanking him back.

"Peter, I am not exactly inclined to help you right now. I suggest you say your piece and then leave," Deaton said. "If you insist on antagonizing them, I won't stop them from reacting."

"Oh you really are no fun anymore are you? I liked you better as a veterinarian," Peter said.

"I am a veterinarian. I can't be expected to stop a man with a gun," Deaton said.

Peter's dramatic sigh made Stiles want to bludgeon him in the head. "Fine. Bring me Olivia and Tobias. Every day I don't have them, I'll kill someone in a very werewolf manner. I wonder how long before that trigger-happy family starts coming after your pack then, hm? They think we're one and the same after all."

"Find them yourself," Scott said. "You're a big bad Alpha now, aren't you?"

"They're not at home," Peter said. "And honestly I'm too busy to go searching on my own." His gaze slid over to Deaton. "And I bet one of you knows exactly where I can find them. I'll be waiting to hear from you. Derek's still got my number."

He twiddled his fingers once more at them before heading out the door. Scott slammed his fist against the counter, a low snarl escaping him before he took a deep breath, head bowed.

"Deaton, was he telling the truth? Do you know where they are?" Scott asked.

Stiles looked over at Deaton, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do. I hid them, and Tobias is ensuring the no one can find them by scent. I had a feeling Peter would be able to persuade the Casia Pack to his side before Olivia and Tobias could make a move," Deaton said.

"So let's turn them over," Chris said. "Let them all decide what to do and we can pick up whatever is left."

"No," Scott said. "We're not going to turn them over for Peter to kill."

"They tortured Boyd, are you just going to forget that?" Chris asked.

"Yeah and Kate killed Peter's entire family, but did she deserve to die?" Scott asked, whirling around so he was toe to toe with Chris. "Tell me Kate deserved to die for what she did and then we'll go toss Olivia and Tobias on over to Peter."

Chris' jaw clenched. "No, she didn't, but would Derek agree with me?"

"Yeah, he would," Scott said. "Because Derek doesn't want people to die for something as stupid as revenge or power."

"He killed his uncle," Chris said.

"Okay, this is a pointless conversation to have," Stiles said. "No turning Olivia and Tobias over, even if they're assholes. But we also can't let anyone die tonight and knowing Peter, do you _really_ think he'd just kill some random guy on the street? He's going to go after people we care about, just like he did before."

Scott went pale. "Shit."

"Yeah," Stiles said. "So how about we come up with a game plan instead of arguing like a bunch of teenagers?"

"Alright, then what do you suggest?" Chris asked.

Stiles glanced over at Scott and then back at Chris. "Okay how about this then. We need to update Olivia and Tobias on what's happening so we need to get them somewhere safe."

"Here's about as safe as it can get," Scott said. "They'll be protected on this side of the barrier."

"Then we need to make sure my dad, Melissa, everyone's families are safe," Stiles said. "Melissa we can bring here."

"What about your dad?" Scott asked.

"He's the Sheriff, he can't just _not_ show up to his job," Stiles said. "I'll tail him with Danny and we'll keep him safe."

"Take Erica with you," Scott said. "It's not that I don't think you're adequate I just...it's your dad Stiles."

"Works for me," Stiles said. "We'll have Jackson, Derek, Isaac, and Boyd protect the rest of the families. Boyd and Erica live close together so the three of them can handle that block and then Derek can watch the Whittemores."

"What about Lydia and Allison?" Chris asked.

"Keep them here," Stiles said. "Lydia can paralyze anyone who comes after us with her voice. Theoretically, anyways. Also she's smart so she can probably come up with a way to get Olivia back in charge of her pack. You and Allison are going to be our best bet against Peter and we'll need more firepower here in case Peter decides to do something stupid."

"You're really good at this," Scott said.

"Yeah well I've spent the last two years listening to you and Derek, it's not that hard," Stiles said. "Someone should call Derek."

"I'm on it," Scott said. "We can retrieve Olivia and Tobias while we get everyone organized."

"I'll call Danny then. Everyone good?" Stiles glanced around at them.

"It's a concrete plan," Deaton said with a nod. "Let's get started."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once, nearly everyone is on the same side. It's time to knock Peter out for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major character death blah blah blah, skip to the end notes to see who if you want, it's no one REALLY important.
> 
> Also! This chapter was beta'd by a wonderful friend of mine! She did a great job, especially since she has not watched Teen Wolf at ALL so major props to her. I hope you guys like this chapter. It's a bit shorter but that's because I really needed this all to happen on its own. Enjoy!

[The tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

"I should be going after Peter."

Isaac watched Derek throw his jacket on, every motion sharp and jerking. "Well, you're the Alpha. Why not just do what you want?"

Derek glared at him but didn't offer an explanation.

"Look, Derek. Stiles and Scott have the right idea, and if you went after Peter, what would come of it? You're not going to kill him," Isaac said.

"Well I can't just let someone else do it!"

Isaac took a deep breath and then met Derek's eyes, refusing to look down even as they flared bright red. "I've tried to be understanding, okay Derek? I know, better than anyone, what you're feeling and how conflicted you are, but we're passed that point now. He's killed someone, and he's going to do it again. We have to do something and I'm sorry but..." Isaac shook his head. "Derek, he's passed being redeemed."

"Your father-"

" _My father_ was an awful man," Isaac said. "But he never killed anyone, and honestly, I'm better off with him dead. There's a reason I decided that I wanted _you_ as my anchor instead of him, Derek. So are you seriously going to put Peter before the rest of us?"

Derek's shoulders slumped forward but he still refused to turn and look at Isaac. For a long moment, Isaac stared at him, waiting for any response, but when Derek didn't give one, Isaac shoved passed him.

"Fine. You can stay and worry about _Peter_. The rest of us will actually try and protect people."

Isaac expected some sort of reaction but when he looked back, Derek still had his head bowed. Isaac slammed the door shut on his way out.

 

-.-

 

Lydia parked her car around back of the clinic, shaking off the odd feeling simmering under her skin as she got out. She'd been feeling fine, more than fine thanks to Erica, but the moment she'd gotten the phone call from Scott, everything had shifted. She wanted to write it off as just being worried, but she was starting to realizing ignoring her feelings was a bad idea.

Lydia knocked on the back door, glancing around the lot. Nothing _seemed_ out of place. The door opened and Deaton ushered her inside with a flat smile.

"Something wrong, Lydia?" Deaton asked.            

"We are so not doing this." Lydia pushed passed him and shut the door before flicking the lock.

"I'm sorry?" Deaton asked.

Lydia spun on her heel to face him, folding her arms across her chest. "Oh you know, the whole speaking in riddles and asking really vague questions instead of just saying what you know and asking the important questions."

"Ah." Deaton shrugged and then moved to lead the way down the hall without elaborating. "Scott has just dropped Olivia and Tobias off. We were hoping you could speak with her."

"Why me?" Lydia asked.

"She's certainly not about to listen to Chris or Allison," Deaton said.

"Point taken."

Deaton opened the basement door. "They're downstairs. We'll be right upstairs if you need anything."

Lydia headed down the stairs, holding her head high when she entered the training room. Tobias and Olivia sat at the far side of the room at a table, but Tobias got to his feet when he looked at her.

"I know you. You're the banshee," Tobias said, fangs elongating.

"Yup, so try me. I'm not afraid to use my powers against you," Lydia said. She strode across the room and took a seat at the table, eyes flicking between Tobias and his own seat. "Don't try and intimidate me, I dated a homicidal Kanima. You're _really_ not that scary."

Tobias sat, but only after sharing a look with Olivia. Lydia glanced over at Olivia, deliberately putting her back to Tobias.

"So then. Why don't you tell me what _you_ want, and I'll try and make sure we _all_ win," Lydia said.

Olivia's dark gaze was wary and Lydia could see tension in every sharp line of her body. "Why should we trust you? I trusted Jackson, and look where we are now."

"Jackson did as his Alpha instructed because there was a threat. Don't drag him into this," Lydia said. "But as far as why you should trust me? I hate Peter just as much as you do."

"Why? He's related to your Alpha," Olivia said.

"You weren't related to Marisa and you still miss her. Anyone with eyes can see that. Blood means nothing when actions can tell you so much more," Lydia said. "Peter tried to kill me, then manipulated me into bringing him back to life. I have very _personal_ reasons to want him dead, regardless of how my Alpha feels."

For a long moment, Olivia held her gaze, as if she were waiting for Lydia to back down, but Lydia didn't even blink. Finally, Olivia nodded.

"Okay. What did you have in mind?"

"That depends on you," Lydia said. "Your pack abandoned you for Peter."

"Peter is a pure werewolf. It seems our pack cares more for purity than dignity," Tobias

"He's right," Olivia said with a nod. "I am not interested in a pack that's so willing to abandon me. I think with the elimination of Peter, they would turn to Derek before me."

Lydia snorted. "Well they're certainly in for a rude awakening if that's what they end up doing. What will you do then? Say you kill Peter and become an Alpha. Are you going to come after us for revenge?"

Olivia's expression softened and all at once, she looked not like a warrior, not a werewolf who had single-handedly taken on three of the betas, but a teenage girl who'd lost her family and didn't know what to do. "A few hours ago, I'd say yes, but I don't really care now. Derek was right. Peter is the one who took my sister from me. Once I kill him, I want to leave."

Lydia leaned back in her chair. "Okay then. Let's kill Peter."  


-.-

 

"Stiles, I have a gun. I'm not going to let you follow me around all day," John said, grabbing the keys to his patrol car off the counter and heading for the garage.

"Just say we're job shadowing for the day," Stiles said. "Besides, everyone likes Danny. It'll look good on you if it looks like you're helping him out."

"Everyone knows Danny because he's hacked our files before," John said. "No offense, Danny."

Danny shrugged from where he stood behind Stiles. "No, no, it's understandable."

"Dad, this is serious. Just let us protect you," Stiles said.

John stood in the doorway of the garage an irritated sigh blowing passed his lips. "You said you weren't the ones who did the fighting."

"We're not. Erica is technically your guard," Stiles said. "She'll be tailing you all day. I just want to come because...I want to know you're safe."

It was pretty much true, because John didn't _really_ need three guards, but Stiles wasn't about to let him out of sight. He thought John was going to put his foot down and still refuse, but he just opened the door wider so they could follow him through.

"Fine, but keep those stupid staffs in the trunk."

Danny stifled a laugh. He and Stiles quickly stowed their weapons and then got into the back of the patrol car together. When he pulled out into the driveway, Erica was standing off to the side by Stiles' jeep. She gave a short wave and then went back to examining her nails.

"She looks...fine," John said.

"Yeah, she finished healing," Stiles said.

"Should I drive slower or...?"

"Just do whatever. She'll keep up and out of sight," Stiles said.

John just shook his head and started driving Danny reached out and gave Stiles' leg a tentative squeeze, trying to stop the rapid-fire rhythm Stiles was tapping out.

It was pretty uneventful, just a few speeding and parking tickets. Stiles couldn't relax though, certain that something was going to end up happening the moment he let his guard down. Around noon, the Sheriff took them all to a fast food joint, Erica included, insisting on making awkward small talk through the whole meal.

It made Stiles feel a little more optimistic though, seeing his dad try to relate and adjust no matter how uncomfortable it made him.

"Are you sure you don't want to ride along?" John asked as they headed back out to the car.

"Nah, I smell things better out here anyway," Erica said. She gave them a quick wave before ducking back into the nearby woods.

Stiles' phone buzzed in his pocket as he sat back down in the car and he pulled it out to see a text from Lydia. "Looks like they're meeting up with Peter."

"The homicidal killer?" John asked, starting the car. " _That_ Peter?"  
            

"Dad, calm down. They're just going to talk and scare him off," Stiles said.

"I should be there. The police should be dealing with this, not-"

"Dad, the police wouldn't know what to do," Stiles said.

Before John could say anything, his pager went off, someone rattling off a code and an address.

"Wait, is that a domestic violence dispute?" Stiles asked.

"Can you read that address off again?" Danny asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Can you two shut up and let me do my job?" John asked.

Danny and Stiles went silent and after a moment, John repeated the address and Danny ripped out his phone, flipping through his messages.

"Thought so," Danny said. "That's Olivia and Tobias' old house."

"So it's a trap," Stiles said. "We can't let you walk in there."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Dad no one lives there," Stiles said. "It's obviously a trap so if you're going to be stubborn and go in anyways, all of us are coming with you."

They pulled into the driveway of the house and the minute they got out of the car, Erica appeared from across the road, jogging to meet them.

"What are you guys doing here?" she hissed. "The place reeks of werewolves."

"Dad's insisting on walking into a trap," Stiles said. "Can you smell how many are in there?"

"Just three," Erica said. "If I'm reading it right. The blinds are drawn so they probably won't really be expecting us, or paying attention to their noses. John, you can head on up with Stiles. Danny and I will circle around the back and head on in."

John looked like he was about to protest but finally he just shook his head and headed up to the front door. Stiles popped the trunk and pulled out his staff, glancing around the empty street and hoping he didn't look like a total nut job before following his dad up to the door.

"Open up, this is the police, just checking in on a call," John called through the door, knocking on it a few times.

The door opened and a fist snuck out, grabbing the front of John's shirt and pulled him through. Stiles reacted fast, slamming the staff through the opening and wedging it open before forcing himself through. Fear and adrenaline pushed through his veins hard and Stiles sucked in a deep breath, taking in the sight of one werewolf tossing John down onto the ground.

He moved quick, cracking the nearest werewolf in the jaw with his staff before moving across the room and situating himself between his father and his attacker. The werewolf moved faster than Stiles anticipated, claws slashing across his cheek. The flash of pain lit him up, chasing away the fear and leaving behind the raw energy of adrenaline pumping through him. He snapped the staff forward, sending the werewolf stumbling with a hard blow to its jaw. The other grabbed him from behind, but before Stiles could move, Erica snarled and the weight of his attacker vanished.

Danny cut in front of him to knock one of the werewolves back. Stiles turned and helped his dad up before shoving him towards the back door, not stopping even when the Sheriff protested. By the time they were outside and Stiles looked back into the house, one werewolf was sprawled unconscious, another backed up to a wall with Danny's staff pressed to its neck, and the last pinned to the ground by Erica.

"Stiles? Have any way to subdue these guys?" Erica asked, snarling down at her captive when he tried to squirm away.

"Uh, yeah, hold on." Stiles dug around in his pockets and pulled out a few tranquilizer darts Deaton had recommended he start carrying. "I've only got two but that guy seems pretty down for the count." He tossed them over and turned back to his dad. "You okay?"

"You're carrying tranquilizers?" John asked.

"We just got attacked by three werewolves and _that's_ your biggest concern right now?" Stiles asked.

"You should text Lydia," Erica said. "Let her know Peter is already making his move."

"She said they were meeting up with him," Danny said. "Which means they're probably walking right into a trap."

"I'll call everyone and keep them updated. Erica, you should make sure your family is safe and then go provide backup for Lydia, or just send Jackson," Stiles said. "Danny, I want you to go join Isaac, Scott, and Boyd so one of them can go with Erica. I'll stay with my dad."

Erica and Danny each nodded and then headed back through the house, leaving Stiles and his dad in the backyard. Stiles rubbed the back of his neck and turned to look at his dad, who looked a bit like he was going into shock.

"We can go. I'll let Deaton know what happened so he can...clean up. Or whatever. Keep them restrained," Stiles said.

John stared into the house, still not looking at Stiles. "This...this has been your life for almost two years."

"Uh, yeah."

"You know you're bleeding, right?"

Stiles reached up to wipe the blood off his cheek. "It's fine. He barely got me."

"This isn't right. You could've died," John said, turning to face him. "Do you _get_ that Stiles?"

"Yeah, I do. But I'm not just going to stop. I can't. Think about it. If we hadn't been here, you would be dead. I'm doing this so less people die," Stiles said. "Do _you_ get _that_?"

John took a deep breath and let out a shuddering sigh. "Okay. I...thank you. For saving my life. But I'm still going to worry and I still..."

Stiles bit his lip and then hugged his dad tight. "Yeah, I got it. Love you too."

His dad squeezed him tight once and then pushed him back. "I'm proud of you, son. Terrified of all this but...proud of you. Now tell me how I can help."

Stiles glanced down at his phone. "Okay, Lydia's meeting up with Peter by the Hale House. There's probably going to be a fight, if Peter's reputation is anything to go by."

"Let's get those woods clear then."

 

-.-

 

Lydia examined the three paragraph long text from Stiles, mind turning the new information over.

"I don't like this plan," Allison said.

Lydia glanced over at her. "You don't have to. Keep driving."

"Lydia, this _whole_ thing depends on you being able to perform if everything goes to hell and you've only done it once before," Allison said.

"Well then I won't let it go to hell then," Lydia said. Her phone buzzed and she glanced down to see a text from Stiles. "Okay I take that back. Some of the Casia Pack just ambushed the Sheriff. They're fine though, Stiles is just saying we should be careful and he's sending us backup."

Allison parked her car where she normally did when she visited the Hale house. "So what you're saying is we're probably walking straight into an ambush."      

"Yeah, probably. I mean it is _Peter_ so it's not that surprising," Lydia said.

"Lydia, Olivia and Tobias are going to be here any minute with my dad. We are not enough to handle this," Allison said as she got out of the car.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here," Derek said.

Lydia got out of the car, raising an eyebrow when Derek hopped off the porch. "Shouldn't you be watching Jackson's house?"

Derek shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. "Yeah, but I had some thinking to do, mostly about Peter."

"Well that's great. While you've been here having a crisis, the rest of us have been trying to get everyone out of this alive," Lydia said, folding her arms across her chest. "So if you're okay with the fact that we're _going_ to kill Peter, come with us. If not, stop calling yourself an Alpha, because you certainly won't be helping your pack."

Derek's eyes flashed red, shoulders hunching forward. "Don't challenge me."

"Why shouldn't I?" Lydia asked. "While you've been hanging around, refusing to do _anything_ , Stiles and Scott have been making plans."

"Lydia-" Allison started. "Olivia and-"

"I am _talking_ ," Lydia said, her anger making her voice sharp. She advanced on Derek, holding his gaze without hesitation. "Scott and Stiles have been running this pack the last few hours and you have been doing _nothing_ because for some reason, you care more for a man who _murdered_ people in cold blood, who threatened Scott's mom, who almost killed _me,_ than you do for the rest of us."

For a long moment, no one said a word, and then a slow clap started behind her. Lydia turned to see Olivia leaning against Chris' car, Tobias beside her. Chris had moved to stand by Allison, but he also looked impressed.

"It's a shame you can't be a werewolf. I'd want you in my pack," Olivia said. "I think you should listen to her, Derek. We always figured you were a shit Alpha. It'd be a shame if you proved me right."

"Why is she here?" Derek asked.

"We worked out a deal," Lydia said. "We're going to help her kill Peter. She's going to help us run the rest of the Casia Pack out of town and then she's going to leave."

 Before Derek could say a word, Scott bled out of the wood, nudging Lydia as he came to stand beside her.

"Derek, we're not asking you to kill your uncle. We're asking you to eliminate a threat," Scott said. "Jackson's going to be here soon, and the seven of us are going to make a great team, but the Casia Pack is huge. We're going to need our Alpha."

Derek's gaze dropped and for a tense moment, Lydia was certain Derek was going to slink back into the house. When he looked back up though, his gaze had hardened into resolve. Lydia smiled at him and began to hope that they'd be enough.

 

-.-

 

Jackson reached the Hale house a few minutes after Scott, tentatively meeting Olivia's eyes as he walked between the parked cars. She looked tired, at least he thought she did. There was a slight slouch in the usual straight line of her shoulders, a dip in how high she held her chin. He was a bit worried she was going protest him being there, but she gave him a short nod of approval before looking away. It didn't do anything for the way the guilt of his betrayal making his stomach feel like lead.

Tobias still didn't dignify him with a glance.

"So what's the plan?" he asked, turning towards Lydia.

"We're meeting Peter a half mile north of here," Lydia said. "Olivia and Tobias, lead the way."

Olivia peeled away from the car she was leaning up against and began to walk. Lydia, Allison, and Chris followed behind them with the three other werewolves bringing up the rear. Scott hung close to him, arm brushing up against his with every step, a move that under normal circumstances would make Jackson snap at him, but Jackson was still too tired, too raw, to keep up his normal defenses.

The silence was deafening, and it made Jackson's skin crawl. It wasn't often that the woods went so quiet, and experience told him that it was only a matter of time before something went horribly wrong. The woods opened up to a small clearing where a well-dressed Peter stood, hands folded together in front of him.

Jackson took a deep breath, the scent of familiar, but definitely not friendly, werewolves flooding his senses. He glanced over at Scott and Derek, but neither of them seemed to have detected it.

"I was under the impression we were going to meet under friendly terms. What's with the calvary?" Peter tilted his head to the side. "Don't you trust me?"

"What the hell do you want?" Olivia asked. "We're all here, so just get to the point."

"I just want to kill you. Can't have anyone threatening my hold over my newly acquired pack, now can I?" Peter smiled. "If you could just come over here, I'll make it quick, I promise. Just ask Allison. Auntie Kate was dead in just a few short seconds."

There was a sharp twang and Peter stepped to the side, Allison's arrow thunking uselessly into the tree trunk behind him.

"Naughty, naughty. I was hoping this could be a peaceful exchange but..." Peter shook his head and spread his arms. "You attacked first. Now it's just a matter of self-defense."

Peter's eyes flashed and he roared. There was a flurry of motion and suddenly the Casia Pack tore out of the trees. Jackson scrambled back up onto his feet after he was tackled, grabbing the back of his attacker's neck, twisting it until it snapped before turning around. Lydia had danced back to put her back to a tree, Chris and Allison immediately moving to shield her.

Olivia yelped and Jackson whirled just in time to see Peter finish transforming into the twisted and hulking form he still had nightmares about. Peter knocked Olivia into a tree but she was back up on her feet in no time, leaping up onto Peter's back and raking her claws against any bit of flesh she could reach. Jackson turned his back on her to help Tobias keep the rest of the pack at bay while they fought.

Despite the unhappy alliance, Tobias seemed to have no problem hauling a werewolf away from Jackson and snapping its neck or tossing it against the nearest tree. Jackson's stomach still turned every time he felt the life bleed out of his attackers when he moved too fast, too rough, but the need to survive didn't let him think too hard. Anytime he just knocked one away, they came back ten times angrier.

"Tobias!"

Jackson and Tobias both turned at Olivia's scream. Peter had her pinned to a tree by her neck, Olivia clawing at his thick arm as she tried to escape. Jackson moved without thinking, springing up onto Peter's back and shoving his claws in deep. Peter barely twitched so Jackson arched up and sunk his fangs into the back of his neck. The victory was short lived though, because the next moment, Peter managed to work an arm around to grab Jackson and toss him away. He hit a tree with a loud smack, all the breath leaving him.

Before he could get to his feet, Lydia's scream tore through the air, louder than ever before. Jackson covered his ears, sucking a pained gasp through his teeth as his limbs locked up and he toppled over. Peter collapsed, dropping Olivia and skidding away as he howled, tossing his head.

Jackson watched, trembling, as Olivia began to uncurl, dragging herself slowly towards Peter's crumpled form. Blood poured from a slash in her forehead and Jackson could see every limb shaking as she pulled herself closer and closer. Lydia's scream cut off, but the world remained almost completely silent as his limbs began to tingle, the paralysis wearing off. Olivia pushed herself to her feet, hair and clothes a mess of mud and blood, her fists curling tight.

Peter began to rise, but with a wild cry, Olivia kicked him in the jaw and sent him sprawling again. She fisted a hand in a clump of fur and yanked his head back, snarling, and then with one quick motion, she snapped his neck and slashed his throat for good measure.

Later, Jackson would forget the way Olivia's body spasmed as the power of the Alpha flowed through her, the sound of her howl as she fell to her knees, but he could never forget the way grief and anger melted away into fear and helplessness as she lay on the forest floor.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson realizes life isn't quite done screwing him over, Boyd talks with Derek, Danny asks Stiles to meet his parents, and Lydia finally gets the girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, beta'd by an awesome friend of mine. Sorry about the huge delay with this coming out. I got stumped a few times while writing it and then greatly distracted by life and whatnot. The next one should be coming out quicker! I have most of it written already. Comments are loved as always.

[The tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

Lydia groaned as she came to, head throbbing in time with her heartbeat. The bed dipped and she opened her eyes to see Allison hovering over her, a tired smile on her face.

"How long was I out this time?" Lydia asked, pushing herself upright.

"Two hours." Allison pushed Lydia's bangs back and then tugged her forward into a tight hug.

Frowning, Lydia hugged her back. "Is there any specific reason you're not letting me go?"

"Ehhh..." Allison buried her face in Lydia's neck. "Just. I don't like you being out there, fighting and all. You could've gotten hurt."

"Well, minus the _insane_ headache, I'm fine," Lydia said, rubbing Allison's back. "So relax."

"Peter's dead. By the way."

"Good riddance." Lydia wasn't quite able to keep the venom out of her voice.

Allison just shrugged though, not at all surprised. Lydia slumped against her and tried not to think too hard about how relaxed she felt knowing Peter was dead. At least she wouldn't have to explain herself to Allison.

"Did you bury him?" Lydia asked after a moment, fingers curling around Allison's arm.

"After last time? Hell no. We burned him and Derek may or may not have snapped his bones apart. He was...really angry," Allison said. She buried her fingers in Lydia's hair and massaged at her scalp.

 Lydia melted as the pain eased and she closed her eyes with a soft hum. " Good for him. What else happened?"

"Well, dad's making dinner and I finished my history paper," Allison said.     

Lydia poked Allison's side, smiling when the other girl laughed. "I meant with Olivia and her guard dog."

"They're staying with Deaton. She and Derek already ran the Casia Pack out of town actually," Allison said. "Not really sure what will happen next though."

"She'll leave. There's too much pain for her to stay," Lydia said.

"Derek's still here."

"Derek has us though," Lydia said. She pulled away from Allison and stretched. "I still have Calculus to do..."

"Boyd did it. He said you can check his answers if you want, but you should be able to just copy his," Allison said, getting to her feet and searching for it on the desk.

"Nah, Boyd's smart," Lydia said.

Allison turned to face her and leaned back against the desk. "They really care about you."

Lydia tilted her head to the side, frowning at the odd note in Allison's voice. "Yeah?"

"It's just that...I care about you too, you know?"

Lydia swung her legs out and stood up, wincing as her head began to throb again. "Of course I know that. I care about you too. In fact, I love you." She grabbed Allison's hands, smiling when Allison's eyes widened. "What? You're my best friend Allison. More if you want. I was sort of hoping you did."

Allison wet her lips, a tentative smile growing on her face. "Yeah, definitely something I want."

Lydia pressed their lips together once, softly, almost scared that despite everything she'd actually read Allison wrong. Bu when Allison's arms came up to wrap around her, Lydia relaxed.

"We should go get dinner though," Allison said, smiling against Lydia's lips.

"Mmm, fine," Lydia said. She snuck another kiss and then grabbed Allison's hand as she headed for the door.

 

-.-

 

"It was for the better." Isaac winced at the hollowness of the words.

Derek sat on the porch, his back to Isaac as the sun finished setting, every line of his body stiff and tense. If Isaac couldn't hear his erratic heartbeat, he would've thought that Derek was nothing more than a statue. Isaac wasn't entirely sure if he was welcome, but the idea of leaving Derek alone outside to grieve on his own didn't sit right either. Slowly, he stepped closer to Derek and then moved to sit behind him, their backs pressed together.

"Derek?"

"Go inside, Isaac."

Isaac bowed his head. "Can't just leave you out here."

Derek didn't reply. It wasn't Derek's silence that was infuriating for Isaac, but the way that he himself couldn't actually think of anything to say to Derek to make the situation any better. He stayed for a while, the silence between them growing even as Derek spiraled further inward. The sun had fully set by the time Isaac gave up.

When he got back inside, Boyd and Erica were curled up on the couch watching Bambi. Isaac climbed onto the couch beside Boyd, slumping against him. Boyd squeezed the back of his neck and hauled him closer. Erica reached out to grab one of Isaac's hands so she could rub the back of it with her thumb, a small comfort but a comfort nonetheless all the same.

"Any luck?" she asked.

"No. You guys don't have to stay," Isaac said. "You need to go home and see your parents. It's been a long few days."

Erica gave an exaggerated sigh and hit pause. "Killjoy. You're right, but you're still a killjoy."

"You can take her home," Boyd said. "I don't even have a missed call. I'll try and talk to Derek."

Isaac snorted and then rolled to his feet before extending a hand to Erica. "Good luck with that."

Erica dropped a quick kiss on Boyd's cheek and then accepted Isaac's hand. Her bag was by the door where she'd drop it nearly three days ago. She slung it over her shoulder before leading the way out of the house.    

For the first time in a long while, the woods actually felt relatively safe. Rationally, he knew that there were still hunters, that there was still a threat, but he still held in his mind's eye the sight of Derek and Olivia running the might of the Casia Pack out. Knowing that the woods were theirs again went a long way in easing his anxiety. In the light of what they'd accomplished, what were six people with guns?

"I don't want to go home."

Isaac glanced over at Erica as they walked. "Yeah?"

"It's just. Last year I told Derek that I just wanted to live and be a teenager. So, I should like going home and pretending to be normal," Erica said, squeezing Isaac's hand tight. "But I don't. That girl...isn't me anymore, you know? I thought she was, but I'm happier with all of you. That's normal. Doing homework, running with the pack, all of it."

"So what are you saying?" Isaac asked.

"Not to sound over dramatic but...they don't feel like my family anymore," Erica said. "I...thought I would be afraid of that, you know? Losing myself to the animal but it doesn't feel the way, even after what happened with Olivia. That almost makes it worse."

"I wish I could say I understand where you're coming from but..." Isaac shrugged. "All I can say is you're still you. I'd be the first to notice if you weren't after all."

Erica paused and turned to face him, grabbing both Isaac's hands and smiling up at him. "Thanks. If you're not worried than I guess I don't have to be either."

Isaac kissed her forehead and then glanced down the road to her house. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. They might not be my family the way you guys are, but I still love them," Erica said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Isaac watched her walk away, watched until she was safely back inside her head and only then did he turn to head back home. He only got a few yards before stopping though, a familiar scent hitting his nose. Sighing, he turned to see Aspen, her usual penetrating and somewhat soulless stare tempting him to lash out.

"We have to stop meeting like this. If you like me so much, stalking _really_ isn't the way to go," Isaac said, crooking an eyebrow up.

Aspen reached back and pulled out her gun, flashing it quick enough for Isaac to see before tucking it into her jacket pocket. "I think we should have a nice long talk, don't you?"  
           

-.-

 

Boyd sat down beside Derek, nudging the Alpha's shoulder as he did so. Derek didn't budge, didn't look at him, but Boyd wasn't worried. He hadn't met a person yet that could stand staying quiet when he stared at them and waited for them to talk. Admittedly though, Derek was pretty good at stony silence.

There were things Boyd wanted to say, could say, but Isaac had already tried talking some sense into him. He didn't want to risk shutting Derek down further. So he leaned forward on his knees and rested his chin on his hands and stared into the darkness.

Somewhere out there, Peter's ashes were scattered. Boyd had a feeling that's what Derek was thinking about. Would they come across those ashes one day while on a run? Would a tree sprout, fed by the nutrients of those ashes? Would they be able to even tell? Boyd wasn't sure of the answers and he wasn't about to ask Derek. Perhaps it was still too soon.

"I'm completely alone now."

Boyd looked over at him, but Derek was still staring out into the woods.

"I wasn't before. Catatonic or not, he was still alive and I always had Laura," Derek said. "But now they're both dead, for good this time."

"It was like that before, wasn't it? Just before you bit us?" Boyd asked.

Derek gave a short, bitter laugh. "That's _why_ I bit you. Not because I wanted to help you but because I was lonely. I'm selfish."

"I think you're allowed a bit of selfishness," Boyd said. "Don't really care why you bit me frankly, I'm just happy that you did."

"Are you insane? After everything that happened, especially to you, you can still say that?" Derek shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "You should run while you're still alive. You and Erica had the right idea before."

"Actually no, we really didn't," Boyd said. "We didn't give you a chance-"

"Boyd, I killed my uncle. Twice, basically. What's to say I won't do it to you? To _both_ of you?" Derek got to his feet and leapt off the porch before he began to pace.

"Except I know you won't, because that's what Deucalion wanted you to do," Boyd said. "If anyone was going to convince you to kill us, it would've been him. Remind me again what happened to him?"

"He's dead," Derek ground out.

"Exactly. Why would I be afraid of you killing us when all you've ever done is try to protect us, no matter what?" Boyd asked.

"But Peter-"

"Was a homicidal mass murderer. If he didn't die, eventually he would've killed one or all of us," Boyd said. "I get that you're grieving but-"

"I'm not." Derek stopped his frantic pacing to finally face Boyd head on. "I'm not grieving. I thought I'd feel remorse, but I don't. I hate that I'm the only one left in my family, but I'm glad he's dead. If I can be glad about something like that, who's to say I'll stop there?"

"Well, me, first off," Boyd said. "We're your pack, and if you'll let us, we'll help you. This is some complicated shit, Derek. No one's expecting you to have all the answers, Alpha or not."

Derek's jaw clenched tight before he deflated, shoulders slumping forward. "I..."

"Look, you don't have to say anything, or agree with me, or whatever. Just don't lock yourself out here and refuse to let us help, okay?" Boyd got to his feet and opened the door back into the house. "You coming?"

Derek jammed his hands into his jacket pockets and followed Boyd inside.

 

-.-

 

"Would you really shoot me in a park? That seems a little insane, even for you," Isaac said.

His long legs dragged against the ground as he let the swing he sat in drift back and forth. Aspen swung beside him, and he supposed they'd look like something out of a cute romantic comedy if it weren't for the fact that Aspen had already threatened him twice with her gun.

"We're experts on hiding bodies. I'll do what I deem necessary," Aspen said.

"Wonderful. So what the hell do you want?"

"Information. The Argents are quite involved with you, which, frankly is disgusting, but it works to my advantage...so I won't complain," Aspen said.

"Really? Because it sort of sounds like you are," Isaac said.

Aspen slid to a halt and glared at him, but Isaac just glared right back.

"Who have they picked as their Champion?" she asked.

Isaac shrugged. "No clue."

"Liar. We know it is either Stiles Stilinski or Danny Mahealani. We've been watching you all quite closely. They've started working with the emissary, Alan Deaton. It's not hard to put two and two together," Aspen said.

"If you're so convinced, why ask me?" Isaac asked.

"Because killing them both is too much trouble," Aspen said. She got to her feet and stood in front of Isaac, arms folded across her chest.

"You guys are so stupid, it actually hurts to listen to," Isaac said flatly. "You honestly think the Argents would pick a half-trained minor to represent them?"

Aspen frowned. "No honorable hunter would actually represent them. Their only logical choice is one of those two."

Isaac sighed and got to his feet, doing his best to loom over her and appear as confident as possible. "Then you might want to reconsider your definition of honor, because the Argents definitely have someone, and she's definitely no push over."

Isaac shoved her aside and walked passed her, only halting when he heard the click of her cocking the gun. His eyes flicked around quick, finding the surveillance camera hanging on a nearby street lamp.

"Tell me who she is or I'll shoot you right here, right now," Aspen said.

Isaac turned back towards her, pointing up to the camera. "You really sure you're going to do that?"

"Do you really want to test me?" Aspen shot back.

"Yeah. I'll take my chances," Isaac said.

He turned his back and began to walk away, waiting for the sound of gunfire.          

It never came.

 

-.-

 

Stiles watched from the archway as his dad slammed a dirty pan down in the sink before grabbing the two plates of food and moving passed Stiles to the dining room table. Stiles' trailed after him, trying to think of what to say as he took his seat across from his dad.

"It uh...could be worse." The words sounded pathetic, even to his ears, and John didn't even dignify him with a glance.

"How could it be worse?" John asked after a moment. His knife clanged hard against the plate and then he sighed. "I'm sorry, Stiles. I'm not mad at you, you know that. It's just-"

"Scott's dad is a raging jealous douchebag that wants to get you fired?" Stiles asked.

John laughed, a wary sound but a laugh nonetheless. "True, but watch your language."

"But it's Agent McCall. Can't you make an exception?" Stiles asked with a wide grin.

John smiled but didn't say anything else.

"Look, dad. Now that you know more, you can start solving some of these cases. Scott and I can help too. I mean, they got rid of Peter today and the other pack. We should have at least another three weeks of no one dying in weird, mysterious ways," Stiles said, trying to keep his tone light.

"So they killed him then," John said, tone flat.

"Well, Olivia did."

"And that doesn't bother you?" John looked up and met Stiles' eyes.

Stiles squirmed. "What do you want me to say? That I'm not happy Peter's dead and can't hurt us anymore?"

"Vigilante justice isn't the answer, Stiles. The law is."

"Can't stop a psychopathic werewolf. It's not like you can put him in jail, dad. This is sometimes the only way we can protect people," Stiles said.

"So, how long is it until _you_ kill someone?" John asked. "Hm? That mindset doesn't lead anywhere good."

"We've been over this. I'm usually not the one doing the dangerous stuff. Today was an exception," Stiles said.

John didn't seem convinced, but he let it go and turned his attention back to his feet.

"So, why do you think Scott's dad is being such a prick? Anything specific or just his usual level of awful?" Stiles asked.

"Not sure," John said. "Not sure it's even worth trying to fight. I haven't been able to solve much of anything."

"What? Dad, no. You can't just turn this over to some guy who _doesn't_ know," Stiles said. "You can save more people now!"

"Can I, Stiles?" Can I really?" John's voice had a biting edge of anger to it and Stiles instinctively ducked his head. "You said it yourself. What can I or the police do about psychopathic werewolves?"

Stiles stared at his plate. "I don't know. But there might be something and if you can save one life, isn't it worth it?" Stiles looked back up, gnawing his bottom lip. "Think of the people we managed to save by roping off the hiking trails this afternoon."

John pointed a finger at Stiles, about to launch into a speech, but then he sighed and shook his head. "Dammit, Stiles."

"Look, Dad. I'm not asking you to go out and risk your life any more than usual. In fact that's the _last_ thing I want," Stiles said. "But don't give up on this town just because someone who has no idea what kind of mess he's stepped into says you aren't good enough. Because you are."

After a moment, John gave a half smile. "Thanks, Stiles. Good to know someone still has faith in me."

Stiles turned his attention back to his meal and they finished in silence before heading to the kitchen to wash the dishes. John washed and Stiles dried, just like always.

"So, your grades...should I be worried?" John asked, handing over the frying pan.

"Your son is saving the world and you're concerned about his grades?" Stiles asked.

"Saving the world or not, my son's going to college," John said.

"It's all fine, dad, really. Lydia's a good mentor," Stiles said. "She wouldn't like it if we let our grades slip and _no one_ wants to make Lydia mad."

John snorted. He passed the final dish over and then turned to face Stiles' head on. "You'd tell me though, if there was anything else making you feel...overwhelmed?"

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, of course."

The lie left a bitter taste in his mouth, but his dad's relaxed smile was worth it.

 

 

-.-

 

School felt wrong. Jackson tried to remember the last time he felt so trapped when everything seemed so normal, and the thought of _Matt_ made him want to puke. He couldn't pay attention, and by third period he gave up pretending and opted for sleeping all the way through class.

Lydia seemed to notice his behavior at lunch, so she spent the whole time rubbing his leg under the table. Under normal circumstances, he knew it would help, and he supposed it did a little, but he still felt like he was about jump out of his skin.

By fifth period, he finally gave up and left, though he had enough sense to check himself out as sick first. No sense in freaking his parents out even more after all. He didn't answer Scott's worried texts, mostly because he didn't want anyone to know why he left or where hew as going.

Deaton didn't seem at all surprised when he showed up at the clinic, instead just swinging the gate open.

"She's downstairs. Tobias is out."

Jackson murmured a quick thanks before heading for the basement. Olivia was doing push ups in the middle of the training mat and though she undoubtedly was aware of his presence, she didn't even glance over her shoulder. Jackson sat down at the table and stared down at his hands. It was a few minutes before she finished, and when she stood up and coughed, Jackson immediately looked up at her.

"Thought so." Her eyes looked different, the brief red glow making Jackson's throat tighten.

"Thought what?" Jackson asked.

"Your skins been crawling all day, hasn't it? But you feel better now," she said. "Me too." She folded her arms across her chest.

"So what does that mean?" Jackson asked.

"It means you've recognized me as pack, but you smell weird. Not quite right," Olivia said. "Which is a minor annoyance but we both know how this has to end, so you might as well just leave. Hanging around is only going to make it worse."

"How the hell am I a part of two packs?" Jackson asked.

Olivia shrugged. "Do I look like I know? All I know is how you smell, but there's no way in hell I'd want you to come with me, even if you felt like ditching the Hale Pack."

Jackson bowed his head. "You don't....seem that angry. At me I mean."

"I'm too tired to be angry," Olivia said. "Besides, I'm an Alpha now. If I hurt you, it'd take awhile to heal. And maybe I don't really want to hurt you, even if you did betray me like that."

"I'm-"

"Don't." Olivia held up a hand. "Don't say it. If you were really sorry, you wouldn't have done it in the first place."

"You came _here,_ " Jackson said. "I was just doing what you would've done."

Olivia's lips twisted into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Yeah, I know. That's why, no matter how much I _want_ to hurt you, I'm not going to."

"For what it's worth, I think...you're going to be a good Alpha," Jackson said, ducking his head again so he wouldn't have to look at her expression. "I won't say Marisa would be proud because I didn't know her like you did but I think...yeah. You'll be fine."

"Is that all you wanted to say then, Jackson? Do you feel better? Absolved of your guilt?" Olivia asked.

Jackson gave a short laugh. "No. I'd do it all again, but that doesn't make it any less shitty."

Olivia stepped closer and then wrapped her arms around his shoulder and tugged him close so his head rested on her stomach. "It's okay Jackson. I forgive you."

"I don't deserve it."

Olivia shrugged, small fingers stroking over the back of his neck. "Probably not, but I forgive you anyways. I'm not going to add to your guilt. I'm starting over, and maybe this is a good first step."

Jackson breathed in her scent and wrapped his arms around her waist, hating how right it felt. "It's going to hurt when you leave, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Olivia said. "It's gonna hurt me too, but we'll be okay. You have your real pack. I've got Tobias. We'll be okay."

Jackson squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying to ignore the way they were burning from unshed tears. Olivia pet his hair and he struggled to focus on her heartbeat, the sound steady somehow despite what he knew she had to be feeling. He didn't want her to leave.

"I'm leaving tonight. Me and Tobias both are," Olivia said. "We'll come back one day, maybe. But, not to kick you out. I love Marisa, but I don't think I could do what she wanted. I'm not the conquest type."

"You might want to, uh," Jackson coughed passed the tightness in his throat. "Make a treaty with Derek and the Argents. Just to cover your ass next time."

"Yeah. I'm sorry things turned out this way. You could've been a great packmate."

Jackson couldn't help it then. He started to cry, clinging tight to Olivia as a few choked sobs wracked his body. Olivia just held him though, and didn't say a word.

 

-.-

 

Stiles shouldered his bag and slammed the door to his jeep shut as he headed up into the clinic, Danny at his heels.

"Is Chris coming this time?" Danny asked.

"No clue," Stiles said. He opened the door and nearly smacked into Olivia, tensing up and freezing. "Ahhhh, hello?"

"I was just leaving," she said, brushing passed him. "Don't let me bother you."

Stiles frowned and watched her walk out across the parking lot, then shrugged and headed in.

"That could've been worse," Danny said.

"So are we just not worried about her anymore?" Stiles asked Deaton.

Deaton shoved some files into the filing cabinet behind the counter. "She's actually on her way to discuss a treaty with Derek. I'm going to mediate it. Chris should be here to take over your training for the day."

"Do you want us to run the place?" Danny asked.

Deaton walked passed him to take his coat off the rack before flipping the open sign to close. "No worries. Remind Chris to lock the door."

He left before either of them could reply.

"Okay then," Stiles said, hopping up onto the counter. "So are the parents home yet?"

"Yup. Which means I'm going to have to start getting creative with my excuses of where the hell I am all the time," Danny said. "Look...since we have a moment, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I definitely don't like the sound of that. What's the matter?"

"Nothing's wrong," Danny said, letting his bag slide to the ground as he moved to step between Stiles' legs. Stiles shifted closer and tossed his arms around Danny's shoulders. "Just. I wanted to know if you wanted to be exclusive, or if you had a thing with the pack. We had more important things on our mind so I didn't ask earlier..."

"Honestly? I don't know," Stiles said. "I mean. I like you a lot, Danny. I like making out with you, and I like that you're a good person to talk to, but this pack thing...I can't just go ahead and say no. I mean maybe a few months ago I'd say yeah, sure, I'm a one-man type of man but I don't really know now."

Danny grabbed Stiles' arms when he tried to pull back. "No, no, no I'm not mad. I just wanted to know where you were. Because I don't know where I am either. I just thought we should be on the same page and I guess we are."

Danny's smile calmed the worry that had started to build in Stiles' chest, but, before he could sneak in a quick kiss, the bell above the door chimed and Chris walked in. Danny jerked away, flushing bright red, but Chris wasn't looking, more concerned with re-locking the door. When he turned around, Stiles and Danny were both hovering awkwardly by the counter.

"I guess we can head downstairs," Chris said, glancing between them before heading for the stairs in the back.

Stiles and Danny left their bags on the ground behind the counter and followed after him. Chris tossed his own bag against the rack of staffs in the basement before turning towards each of them. Danny grabbed a staff for each of them and passed one to Stiles before going to his usual far position on the mat.

"Just show me what Deaton usually puts you through and we'll go from there," Chris ordered.

Stiles glanced across the mat at Danny and shrugged. "Alright."

He lunged forward and took a swing at Danny's head. Danny met the blow easily and then settled into their usual exercises, moving between combos almost seamlessly. They still stumbled over the occasional move and most of the time the other was on enough of a guard that they were able to draw the hit back before it connected.

"Okay stop," Chris said. "You two read each other too well. In a fight against someone else, that would be good, but for training, it's basically useless."

Stiles bit his tongue and just nodded instead.

"Try again, but try not to just use the exercises Deaton used to teach you. Those will only work against an untrained fighter," Chris said.

Danny moved first that time, almost catching Stiles off guard. Stiles struggled to keep up with Danny's speed without the combinations Deaton taught them acting as predictor. It was frustrating, given how well he'd stood up to Chris earlier, but Chris had just been testing, and he supposed it helped that he didn't care about hurting Chris. He didn't want to hurt Danny though.

Danny slipped under his guard and smacked the staff into Stiles' jaw right where his bruise from his earlier fight with Chris was. Stiles reeled back and then stepped forward to invade Danny's space and force him back and on his guard. He ignored the throb in his jaw, slinging hit after hit at Danny until he finally gathered enough force to drive Danny to his knees when he tried to block.

Stiles' arms trembled and he sucked in a tight breath before backing up and letting Danny get to his feet.

Chris stepped between them, grasping coiled whips in each hand. "Good warm up. Time to learn how to fight with these."

Danny leaned up against his staff and took one of the whips, watching it uncoil with wide eyes. "Why?"

"This is what Streiter uses, and it's undoubtedly what he's going to end up fighting with as your fight progresses," Chris said. "The only way you can learn how to fight against it is to learn its strengths and weaknesses." He handed the last whip over to Stiles. "Understand?"

Stiles took it and swallowed hard, his chest suddenly tight. "We've got two months. How the hell am I going to learn all of this?"

Chris' stern expression seemed to soften a bit. "Stiles, you don't _have_ to do this?"  
           

Stiles stared down at the whip. "Yeah, I do. Just...try and teach me quick."

 

-.-

 

Jackson drove to the Hale house once Derek texted him that Olivia was gone; for good, not that Jackson needed Derek to tell him that. His stomach twisted as he walked up the steps and headed inside. Scott and Derek were sitting on the couch in the living room, and Isaac's scent was strong enough to suggest he was somewhere nearby, probably the kitchen.

After a beat of hesitation, Jackson made his way over, the need to scent them _immediately_ fighting with the urge to find Olivia's scent and track her. Derek made the decision for him, grabbing his wrist and tugging Jackson down into his lap. Jackson wanted to say something, tell Derek he didn't need to be cuddled, least of all by _him_ , but as the Alpha's scent surrounded him, the pain that had been pulsing through him seemed to ease.

Scott shifted to sit next to Derek, turning towards him so he could put his hands on Jackson's thighs, the warmth of his hands seeping through Jackson's jeans. Jackson trembled, once, hard, before relaxing with a long, shuddering breath.

"What is wrong with me?" Jackson asked, hands sliding up to fist in his hair.

"Your body is fighting two pack bonds," Derek said, but his voice sounded like a faraway echo. "We can smell it on you. It wasn't so bad at first, didn't even notice it until I thought back about it, but that night the Grossmans attacked the Casia pack? That was traumatizing for you both. It must've forged a bond between you, whether you wanted it or not."

"So make it stop," Jackson whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. "It just feels worse and worse."

The pain was building in his chest with every passing moment and he wrapped his arms tight around himself, unable to help the way his claws elongated and began to sink into his biceps.

"She's leaving town," Derek said. "That's probably why. Her turning into an Alpha probably made the bond even stronger."

"Jackson, you gotta slow down you're breathing," Scott said, hands sliding up to grasp Jackson's face. "C'mon."

Jackson leaned forward into Scott as he began to cry again, hating the tears more than the pain in his chest, hating the weakness, hating how he wasn't good enough. He was so fucked up he bonded to a crazy werewolf that had wanted to kill everyone he cared about. Was there a lower level for him to sink to?

"Call Lydia," Scott ordered.

"And say what?"

"Just tell her to tell the Whittemores something-"

"Don't," Jackson croaked out.          

Scott nudged his face up. "Don't what Jackson?"

"Don't tell them. T-They don't care. Better to not even mention I-I'm gone," Jackson said, voice cracking.

Scott tugged him close again, making soft shushing noises as Jackson continued to suck in huge gasps of breath. "We've got you Jackson. We're not letting you go okay? We care."

Jackson didn't have the breath to tell them they shouldn't.

 

-.-

 

"I am going to fail this test-"  
           

"No you aren't, try again," Lydia said, holding the flashcard up with one hand while writing her calc homework down with the other.

Allison gave a frustrated sigh and took the flashcards out of Lydia's hand. "I wish I wasn't so shit at learning languages. I was good at French! Why can't I get this?"

Lydia turned towards her, watching as Allison flipped through the flashcards. "Is something else bugging you? This doesn't look like your usual 'oh-my-God-I'm-so-stupid-even-though-I'm-not' freak out."

Allison looked up at her, crooking an eyebrow up. "Really?"

"What? You have that freak out a lot," Lydia said. She hooked an ankle around Allison's chair and rolled her closer so she could take the flash cards back and set them on the desk. "So what's wrong?"

Allison looked down at her lap and then reached out to put her hands in Lydia's. Lydia twined their fingers together, squeezing once.            

"Sorry. I just...God this is going to sound so dumb-"

"Hey, no. Don't do that," Lydia said. "I'm never going to think anything you say is dumb."

Allison allowed herself a small smile. "It's just...am I allowed to hold your hand now? And kiss you? At school I mean, obviously here is perfectly fine."

"Of course you can," Lydia said. "I just didn't want to push you. I know all this is new to you and I don't want to make you do anything you're not ready for."

Allison gave Lydia a sly look. "I think I'm ready for a lot more than you think I am."

Lydia raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?"  
           

Allison stood up, tugging Lydia up with her so that they were barely an inch apart. Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest, and not in the fearing for her life sort of way. No, she was excited, eager to prove herself to Lydia even if she was a little scared she'd mess up. She wrapped her arms around Lydia's neck and pressed their lips together.

The feel of Lydia's lip gloss was new, but she certainly didn't mind it, especially once she got a taste. Lydia let her lead, which Allison found a bit surprising. She pressed closer and slid her hands through the silky curls of Lydia's hair as Lydia opened up and let her in. Allison slid her tongue over Lydia's then across her teeth and over her lips again before nipping at Lydia's bottom lip.

"So I take it Scott's a good kisser?" Lydia asked, a little breathless when they pulled apart.

"What?" Allison tilted her head to the side.

"Because you're so good and you two made out a lot and he probably learned to be good because of you and my _God_ , you kissed me stupid didn't you?"

Allison giggled, hugging Lydia as she pressed her face into the other girl's neck. "Sorry. I'm definitely taking that as a compliment."

"I wonder what else you're good at," Lydia said.

Allison pulled back, the giddiness of their kiss adding to her confidence. "Well I could try-"

"Lydia?" Lydia's mother knocked on the bedroom door. "Dinner's ready."

Allison flushed.

"Coming!" Lydia called over her shoulder before turning back to Allison. "You good?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Allison asked.

"I don't know, I guess I expected more of a crisis out of you," Lydia said. "No offense."

"None taken. I'm actually surprised I'm not freaking out more," Allison said. She shrugged. "But I mean...I love you, Lydia. I have since we became best friends and just because that love is changing form doesn't mean it's new or something I should be afraid of."

Lydia smiled, a soft quirk of her lips.         

"I may not be pack yet," Allison said. "But you're all important to me and I'm not going to be jealous about how much you all love each other because I know you won't leave me."

"You're ridiculous," Lydia said. "You already _are_ pack, Allison. We've just been waiting for you to see it."

Allison couldn't help her own smile as Lydia's words filled her chest up with warmth. "Okay. I'm definitely on board with that."

Because it wasn't scary anymore. She could be a hunter and a pack member. It couldn't possibly be wrong when it felt so perfect.

 

-.-

 

"Do you wanna come in? My mom's making homemade pizza," Danny said.   

Stiles tapped his fingers along his steering wheel, not looking over at him. "Nah, I'm good."

"Stiles, I'm asking you to _meet my parents_ ," Danny said.

Stiles went still. "Oh. _Oh_. Shit. Really?"  
           

"I mean...if you don't want to, I understand," Danny said, voice rushed. "I know we haven't decided to be exclusive, but we're something and you're the first guy I _don't_ mind my parents meeting."

"Yeah?"

"Stiles, I dated a lot of shitty guys," Danny said. "You're pretty much the opposite."

"Was that a compliment?"

"Yes, so do you want to come in?" Danny asked.

"Yes?" Stiles bit his lip and glanced at Danny. "Look, I don't know. I'm covered in bruises and I'm anxious as fuck anyways so I'll just make a fool of myself."

"It's okay," Danny said. "Whatever you're ready for. But...why are you anxious? Should I be concerned?"

"No, no, it's just...the usual fighting for my life so I can't calm down," Stiles said, leg jack-hammering against the floor of his jeep.

"So I _should_ be concerned," Danny said.

"No, I got it, Danny. I'll be okay, I just need a brain-to-mouth filter," Stiles said. He flashed Danny a not entirely convincing smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything though okay? Even if it's just to talk and you think it's stupid," Danny said. He snuck a quick kiss and then got out of the jeep.

Stiles waited until he was inside before heading home. His dad was gone when he got back, but he'd already told Stiles he had a night shift so he wouldn't be concerned. Stiles made himself a microwavable pizza, which tasted like cardboard in comparison to whatever Danny was probably eating.

Anxiety hummed just below his skin, an annoyance he couldn't shake off no matter what he did. He plowed through his homework, watched a movie, played video games, everything that normally helped but to no avail. He knew why he was so scared and worried but he didn't want to face it. Because he was _wrong_ before. He didn't have to be afraid of killing anyone, no that wasn't the _real_ problem.

What he really was afraid of was dying, and there was only so far he could run.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia saves Allison, Stiles and Danny try advancing their relationship, and family dynamics start to work themselves out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd. My beta is super busy as we're coming up on the end of the semester. Sorry for the huge delay in this chapter. Should be a bit quicker the next few updates? I hope. We'll see. I have a few oneshots I wanna crank out first.

Lydia grabbed Allison's hand as they headed to lunch, flashing her a quick smile of reassurance as she did so. Allison couldn't help the flutter of butterflies the action created, both from nerves and the fact that Lydia was finally _hers._

They parted long enough for them to each grab their own lunches before rejoining at their table. Lydia pecked her quickly on the lips, prompting an eyebrow waggle from Erica. Boyd didn't even dignify them with a response and it was only Stiles that seemed surprised. His eyes narrowed, flicking back and forth between them.

"When did this happen?" Stiles asked.

"Not important, I have something to say, which I did tell Derek and then forgot to tell all of you so uh...sorry," Isaac said, squeezing in between Scott and Stiles. "Oh, also don't worry about Jackson. He's with Derek today."

"That's _not_ cause for concern?" Stiles asked. 

Danny nudged him. "Okay, what's the problem?"

"Stalker twin number one Aspen pulled a gun on me. She wants to know who the Argent's Champion is," Isaac said.

"How are you just telling this to us now?" Allison asked, the giddiness giving way to impatience.

"I've been a bit distracted," Isaac said. "They think it's Stiles or Danny but I just told them it was a girl. No idea if she believed me though."

Allison looked over at Lydia. "So what now? If they think it's Stiles, what if they try something?"

"They won't," Lydia said. "At least nothing as blatant as killing. They lose their leverage if they act that aggressively."

"May I point out they're psychotic and aren't really against killing people?" Isaac asked.

"If you're trying to make me fear for my life, congratulations," Stiles said, shoving a chip into his mouth. "Because I _totally_ needed help doing that."

"We could try and talk to Logan," Lydia said. "See what he feels like telling us."

"Are you sure you can trust him?" Scott asked.

"He was telling the truth the first time," Allison said. "I'll just be careful how I approach him."

"He's a bit pathetic," Boyd said.

Everyone looked towards him.

"What?" Boyd shrugged. "Seriously, what does the guy even stand for? He's not loyal to his family, he's not loyal to us. He's basically got nothing to stand on. I'm just saying if you push him right, he'll break and tell you whatever you want."

"That is surprisingly dark and uncaring of you," Stiles said, straightening a bit.         

"Like Isaac said. They're psychotic. I don’t think we should pull our punches," Boyd said. "We need to use whatever advantage we have. It's not just a matter of being able to take them in a fight like it was with the pack."

"Sounds good to me. You sure you'll be okay?" Lydia asked, turning back to Allison. She reached out and covered Allison's hand with her own.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Allison said.

 

-.-

 

Allison waited for the all clear from Scott that the locker room was empty before ducking inside. She had texted Logan asking if they could talk just after lunch and had gotten an immediate response of agreement. That was a little surprising, given how reluctant he'd been before, but she'd take it as a positive sign.

The locker room door slammed open and Allison whirled around, freezing when she saw Josh and Aspen. Josh hung back by the door, flicking the lock shut as Aspen stepped towards her. Allison fought the urge to step back and instead catalogued how many weapons she had on her; knife in her boot, sonic emitter in her jacket pocket. Not ideal but it was something.

"Don't look so startled, it's embarrassing," Aspen said, coming to a halt a few feet away from her. "We're not here to kill you. I mean, that would just be...sad. You wouldn't even stand a chance."

"Someone's chattier than normal," Allison said. "Have you always loved the sound of your own voice or is that a new development?"

Aspen's somewhat relaxed stance sharpened as she glowered.

 _Jesus, I'm turning into Stiles. Open mouth, insert foot,_ Allison thought.

Aspen pulled out what Allison assumed was Logan's phone and began to read. "'Hey, I really need to talk to someone. Can you meet me in the boy's locker room after school? And of course, like the pathetic wimp he is, Logan says 'Yeah, yeah, of course.'" Aspen looked up and met Allison's eyes before hurling the phone at her.

Allison ducked, wincing when it caught the top of her head before landing on the floor and cracking.

"Did you _really_ think that would work? That we wouldn't notice him trying to sneak away?" Aspen demanded, her lips twisting into an ugly snarl.

Allison hadn't ever seen so much expression on the other hunter's face before and it put her on edge. She yanked her knife out of her boot before straightening, jaw clenched tight. "What are you going to do to him?"

"To Logan? Let our mom deal with him. He'll learn his lesson eventually and you can keep that on your _bleeding heart_ of a _conscience_."

"Your family is more messed up than mine _ever_ was," Allison said. "I feel bad for you, really, but let's move passed that. If you're not here to kill me, what are you here for?"

"Just a warning," Josh said. He stepped away from the door and Aspen backed up to take his place. "We don't need a slut like you coming in and ruining our family."

Allison's hand tightened on the knife. "What?"

Josh snaked forward, twisting her wrist and yanking the knife away before backing her up against the locker. "C'mon, you're going to have to try much harder than that."

"Let me go," Allison said.

"How about no?" Josh pressed her wrist back against the locker. "If you try and fight me, we'll have permission from the Council to hunt you all down, you know that. So. Back to my warning."

Allison bit the inside of her cheek to stop another angry retort.

"You seem to think you can appeal to Logan's emotions, like maybe you can convince him to your side, but you aren't seeing the bigger picture." Josh's blue eyes stared straight into hers and she had to turn away. His gaze was too much like Gerard's; insanity masked by a painful charade of sincerity. "You're nothing but a filthy whore, Allison. A werewolf, a banshee, where does it end? What degenerate supernatural beast will you _not_ fuck?" Josh grinned.

Allison wanted to say nothing, do nothing, but it was impossible. Before she could retaliate though, the locker door beside her slammed open and smacked Josh in the head. He stumbled, grip loosening enough for Allison to sneak away as Lydia stepped out of the locker, her own phone in hand.

"Oh, hey, didn't realize you guys were in here," Lydia said.       

"Lydia?" Allison asked.

"Hush, I'm having a moment," Lydia said. "Now Josh, if I'm remembering correctly you just insulted and threatened my girlfriend's life."

Josh got to his feet, Allison's knife in hand. "I'm going to carve your throat open."

"No you're not and Aspen don't you _dare_ take another step," Lydia said. "I recorded this lovely conversation you all just had. I will send it to the police. I don't want to because I believe we can sort this out ourselves. But if push comes to shove, I will."

"What do you want?" Aspen demanded.

"I want you to leave my girlfriend and my pack alone. You're going to get your fight," Lydia said. "And our Champion is going to kick ass because she's amazing. But for now, you're going to stay. The hell. Away."

Lydia smiled. Josh and Aspen exchanged quick looks before ducking back out of the locker room. Lydia deflated and rushed over to Allison, cupping her face and kissing her once on the lips.

"Are you okay?"

Allison twisted her hands together as she tried to stop shaking. "Been better. Why the hell were you in that locker?"

"Just a precaution. I mean, Josh had a point. You aren't actually allowed to defend yourself," Lydia said. "Allison, you do realize you're crying right?"

Allison jerked back, swiping at her eyes hurriedly. "Sorry, I just. God, he sounded so much like Matt."

Lydia's lips flattened into a straight line. "Nothing Josh or Matt said is anywhere _close_ to true, okay?"

"I know, I know, I just..." Allison sucked in a deep, steadying breath. "I'm okay. Really."

"Let's get you home, okay?" Lydia grabbed one of Allison's hands and squeezed it tight.

"Yeah okay. Can you uh, grab my knife?" Allison asked as she wiped at her eyes again.

Lydia laughed, a short quick sound as she grabbed it off the floor and tucked it into Allison's jacket pocket. "How is this our life? Seriously."

Allison let out a nervous laugh of her own and then tugged Lydia close so she could bury her face in Lydia's neck. She wasn't dirty, or wrong, or anything for loving someone as beautiful and wonderful as Lydia. No one, not Josh, not Gerard, could convince her otherwise.

 

-.-

 

"So Chris told me you don't really have an affinity for the whip," Deaton said.

Stiles glared up at him from the mat where he and Danny were stretching. "I worked with it for like three hours, I didn't realize I was supposed to master it."

"Well, no, but Danny didn't struggle nearly as much as you did," Deaton said.

Stiles stuck his tongue out at Danny who only shrugged in response. "Okay, so what then?"

"I've decided Chris' method of having you learn the whip would take too long. I spent some time studying Streiter's past fights. Oddly, the Council tapes the Champion fights. It wasn't very hard to hack into, which is a bit troubling but not our primary concern," Deaton said.

Stiles got to his feet and then helped Danny up as well. "So do I have no hope or what?"

"Actually I think you have a good chance," Deaton said. "Streiter is good, but he relies heavily on the same tactic to win his fights."

"He takes their weapons," Danny said.

"Exactly, very good," Deaton said.

"How about Danny and I trade places? He obviously is better at this whole thing," Stiles said.

"Think of it like this. If you can disarm your opponent, you can reduce him to relying only on his fists. Very few hunters can survive that way," Deaton said. "So all we have to do is train you on a weapon that's difficult for him to get away from you."

"Wow, simple," Stiles said.

"Actually, I already had something in mind," Deaton said. He moved over to the rack and pulled off a slim stick before tossing it over to Stiles.

It was heavier than Stiles anticipated and he nearly dropped it.

"What the hell is this?" Stiles asked.

"It's similar to what we'd call a naginata."

Deaton mimed pulling it apart and raised his eyebrows. Stiles copied the movement and it clicked apart twice, segmenting into three equal parts connected by a thick chain. Stiles couldn't help his excited grin, jumping in place.

"Holy _shit_ this is bad ass! How do I put it back together?" he asked.

Deaton spent the next hour walking him and Danny through the basics of the weapon and how to transition between the two forms. The wood was smooth, and Deaton said as long as they oiled it before hand, the whip wouldn't get a grip on it, but of course that meant Stiles would have a hard time hanging onto it too. By the end of it, Stiles felt a little less helpless about the whole thing. At the very least, it didn't require as much effort, given how much time he'd spent on the staff already.      Deaton seemed pleased with their progress and let them go after only an hour. He smiled, pleased at their progress, before shooing them out and insisting they get some rest. Stiles led the way back to his Jeep, nervous energy still thrumming through him, but without the darker edge from before.

"Wanna come over and play some video games?" Stiles asked. "Dad's got a night shift again."

"So you're really asking if I wanna come over and make out for a few hours, aren't you?" Danny asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Stiles punched Danny's arm and started the car. "No shame in that."

"Then yes. I mean I'd hang out with you either way but...I could use a way to burn off this energy," Danny said. He grabbed the front of Stiles' shirt and pulled him into a kiss, tongue teasing along the seam of his lips before shoving him back. "You should hurry up and drive."

Stiles swallowed thickly and then pulled out of the parking lot. Danny's hand slid over to rest against his thigh, rubbing teasing circles against the inside of his leg. Every once in awhile, Stiles glanced over at him, eyes narrowing at Danny's smug smile, but it wasn't like he was actually mad. Far from it. Part of him was still nervous sure, because he'd only really gotten off with Scott the one time, but that didn't mean he didn't want to figure out whatever else he liked with Danny.

Part of him felt a bit guilty. After all, he was supposed to be focusing on homework and training. He didn't have time to just mess around because he wanted to, but as he pulled into his driveway and unlocked the doors for him and Danny to get out, he decided to shove those feelings aside. Life was stressful, and today had been the first semi-decent day in a long while. Why shouldn't he indulge? Scott sure didn't mind getting distracted by Allison when they were dealing with the Kanima.

They were barely in through the garage door before he was pressing Danny up against the door and popping up onto his toes so he could kiss him hard. Danny's bag dropped from his shoulders with a thud and he wrapped his arms around Stiles' waist. The euphoric energy of the last few hours, learning a weapon, finally feeling some bit of hope, poured out of Stiles through the kiss as his fingers slid down Danny's chest.

Danny pulled away as Stiles began to push his shirt up. "Stiles?"

Stiles pressed his lips to the underside of Danny's jaw. "Yeah?"

"This is a bit more than...making out, isn't it?"

Stiles stopped, splaying his hands out across Danny's rib cage so he could feel each breath. "Yeah, is that...okay?"

"Yeah I was just surprised," Danny said. "I mean...you said you're still new to this whole thing."

"I'm new to all of this, not just guys," Stiles said. "But I _really_ wanna do this. Trust me."

Danny reached up and rubbed his thumb across Stiles' lips. "Alright."

Stiles pressed their lips together once before finishing tugging off Danny's shirt. He kissed his way down along Danny's throat, over his collarbone and down to his sternum. He unbuttoned Danny's pants before hooking his fingers through the belt loops and tugged until Danny's pants were down by his thighs and palming him through his boxers.

Stiles looked up when Danny's head thudded back against the door. "Good noise or bad noise?"

"Good noise, asshole, keep going," Danny said, voice already breathless.

"Damn, my hands are magical," Stiles said.

He tugged Danny's boxers down next, trying to clamp down on his stomach full of nerves as he finally got a good look at Danny's dick. It was more intimidating than Scott's, because that had been Scott and Scott wasn't looking for Stiles to impress him, and also because Stiles hadn't had every intention to wrap his mouth around Scott's dick like he did Danny's.

Stiles gave it a tentative stroke, urging it to full hardness before pressing his tongue to the slit in one broad lick. He looked up to see Danny bite his lip to hold back a groan. He wrapped his mouth around the entire head before sliding his hand over the length of Danny's dick and cupping his balls followed by a gentle squeeze. Again, he looked up to gauge his reaction.

"It's all good," Danny said, sliding a hand through Stiles' hair. "Just do what you want man."

Stiles pulled back, licking his lips as he did so and prompting another half stifled moan from Danny. "Just want it to be good for you."

"Anything you do is good. Seriously." Danny rubbed a thumb over Stiles' lips. "You don't have to keep wondering."

"Okay well this is the first time I've done this so encouraging noises would be helpful. I'm a quick learner," Stiles said.

He winked and licked a stripe along the bottom of Danny's cock, circling the head once before sucking it back into his mouth. He couldn't get much passed the head, so after a moment, he pulled off to take one of Danny's balls in his mouth. The action earned him an odd sort of whine and he could feel the muscles in Danny's thighs twitch.

Stiles shifted his attention to the other one, licking over it and sucking at them until Danny's hand twisted so hard in his hair he was yanked back. Danny was flushed bright red, eyes heavy-lidded as he stared down at Stiles.

"Good, but too good. Gonna come if you keep going," Danny said.

"Damn, you're sensitive," Stiles said, unable to help himself as he reached out and gave another light squeeze.

Danny's resulting, desperate moan sent a thrill down Stiles' spine.

"Don't mind if you come on me," Stiles said.

" _Shit_ Stiles, you can't just say crap like that," Danny said.

He dropped his hand to his cock, stroking over it. Stiles grinned and he returned his mouth to work over his balls, stomach coiling as Danny let out another desperate noise, his free hand clenching once more in Stiles' hair. The broken sounds falling from Danny's lips, mixed with his name, made Stiles want to grin, unable to get over the fact that he was the one causing such reactions.

"S-Stiles!"

Stiles grabbed Danny's hand and pushed it out of the way before wrapping his lips around the tip. He wasn't sure what possessed him to make the move; curiosity at what Danny tasted like he supposed. Danny's fingers tightened in his hair as he spilled his release over Stiles' tongue. It wasn't delicious by any stretch of the imagination, but Stiles lapped it all up anyways, if only because Danny's gaze grew intense as he did so.

When Stiles pulled of, he tucked Danny back into his boxers, but Danny hauled him up before he could do more. Danny pressed their lips together, an open-mouthed and lazy kiss. It made Stiles sharply aware of the burning arousal in his gut.

"So, apparently sucking dick really gets me off," Stiles muttered against Danny's lips.

"I swear to God, you're going to kill me," Danny said. "You gotta learn to control your mouth or I'm going to be popping the world's most inappropriate boners."

Stiles laughed, forehead dropping to press against Danny's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Danny's waist and let his thumbs stroke over the knob of the other's lower spine.

"So you want me to help you with that?" Danny asked, crooking his knee up to brush over Stiles' arousal.

Stiles shook his head and pressed a kiss to the smooth skin of Danny's shoulder. "Nah. In a bit. Just wanna hold you right now."

Danny wrapped an arm loosely over Stiles waist and tugged him closer.

           

-.-

 

Chris leaned against the doorway of Allison's bedroom, watching as she flipped a page in her history book while sharpening one of her ring daggers. He had come home as Lydia was leaving, and the red head had caught his arm and told him to talk to Allison. Lydia's brashness was still something he wasn't used to, and he wasn't really one to take orders from random teenagers, but Lydia tended to be right.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Chris asked.

Allison dropped the whetstone in surprise. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What were you saying?"

"Lydia said something happened," Chris said. "She said we should talk."

Allison drew a knee up to her chest, leaning up against it as she bit her lip. "Uh, yeah, I guess. I was trying to talk to Logan and get more information but it didn't really work. Josh sort of...attacked me."

Chris sucked in a harsh breath and then clamped down tight on the immediate anger. "Define attacked."

"It was more...threatened really. Also I think I ruined our chances of using Logan for information," Allison said. "They definitely know we've been talking to him and I get the impression their not letting him out of their sight."

"I don't give a damn about that, what did Josh _do_?" Chris demanded.

"Jesus, Dad, calm down! You don't have to go shoot him. He just said some stuff and yelled some empty threats," Allison said, getting to her feet.

There was a flush in her cheeks as she headed for her window, hands wringing together as she paced.

"What did he say?" Chris asked. He managed, barely, to keep his voice calm.

"Just that well..." Allison turned towards him, the uncertain smile that said she was afraid tugging at her lips. "Is it even important?"

"Lydia seemed to think so," Chris said.

"Lydia told you?"

"She just said we should talk. If it's bugging you, you should tell me," Chris said.

Allison's lower lip trembled. "He said I'm disgusting for loving Scott and Lydia. A-and I don't k-know if that's h-how you feel too!" The words came out in a stumbling rush and she slumped back against the wall, hand covering her mouth to try and muffle a sob.

Guilt hit Chris hard in the gut and he froze, not sure what to say. It was his fault after all; his and Kate's and Gerard's. They had all spent their time hammering into her head that werewolves and any other supernatural creature was beneath them, had convinced her to try and hurt those that could've been her friends so much sooner if they just hadn't been blinded by their own hatred.

"Allison, no. I don't care. I swear to you, it doesn't matter to me anymore," Chris said. He hesitated another moment before crossing the room and pulling her into a tight hug.

She crumpled forward, hands fisting in his jacket as she continued to cry. He rubbed her back, wishing he could take back everything she'd been forced to witness and go through the last year and a half. Sure, she'd grown into a strong woman, powerful and capable of staring down a family of hunters without flinching, but was the cost even worth it? Was anything worth the amount of pain they endured?

"I'm not going to be the one to add any more pain to your life," Chris said. "I don't care who you love; werewolf or banshee. You're still my daughter."

Allison gave a shaky nod into his chest, but he had a feeling she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Thanksgiving is in two weeks," he said. "We're a little short on family these days, but you have your pack now. We can host them all here, if you want."

"Dad, no. Don't do something you d-don't want to just b-because I can't get myself together," Allison said, pulling away and rubbing her hands over her eyes.

"Allison, you know I'm the last person to do what they don't want to. The Hale Pack is a part of your family now. They may not be a part of mine, but I'm never going to reject you or them," Chris said. "I can't lose anyone else because of ancient prejudices with no ground in reason."

Allison continued to twist her hands togehter, sniffling. "Okay. I'd like that. I think they would too."

"Okay," Chris said. He squeezed her shoulders and when she looked up, he offered a smile, relieved when she offered a hesitant one in return. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She hugged him tight, burying her face against his chest again. "I'll be okay."

 

-.-

 

Lydia took a deep breath and got out of her car. For a brief moment, she wished she were a werewolf because at least then she could know what she was walking into. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Derek since Peter had died, and part of her worried he wouldn't want to see her at all. She hadn't exactly been the nicest person.

The door opened before she could knock and she offered Derek a strained smile. For a moment, she thought he was going to ask her to leave, but then he stepped aside and let her in.

"I'm sure everyone's been asking but are you okay?" she asked.

"Definitely been better," he said. "And you? Last time I saw you, you had passed out again."

Lydia stepped towards the living room, fingers tapping anxiously against her legs. "Okay, still not sure what exactly being a banshee entails but I mean, it means I can help so..."

"Is this weird for you too?" Derek asked, swinging around to block her.

"Yes, horribly." Lydia drew her arms tight around herself. "It feels wrong, avoiding you this long and I'm sorry, it's just frustrating. You were frustrating because you kept excusing Peter and-"

"I'm sorry. Really. It doesn't matter now because he's dead, but I'm sorry if I made you feel like what he did to you wasn't important or didn't matter," Derek said.

"Apology accepted. Now can we move passed this and hug it out or something?" Lydia asked.

Derek snorted and stepped towards her. He was practically a furnace, just the way Erica was. She was pretty sure 'radiating heat' came with the werewolf job. She sighed and leaned into him before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Every time it happens it still surprises me," Lydia mumbled against his chest.

"What does?" he asked.

"The whole...immediate relaxation whenever you hug me," she said.

"It's an Alpha thing," Derek said.

"Didn't you say I was the Alpha Female though?" Lydia asked, propping her chin against his chest as she looked up at him.

Derek just shrugged. "Doesn't mean you can't recognize the pack Alpha. Also, why do you smell so much like Allison?"

Lydia flushed and shoved her face back against his chest. "Uh...we might've, or rather we definitely _are,_ a thing now."

"Oh."

"You're not mad? I mean, not that it would matter because she's very important to me and I'm not giving her up, but I'm still surprised," Lydia said, pulling away.

"Her aunt was the psycho. If Boyd and Erica have forgiven her, I can't stay mad," Derek said.

"True," Lydia said. "I'd just...understand if you were."

"So what else are you here for?" Derek asked.

He stepped away from her and headed into the living room to take a seat on the couch. Lydia trailed behind him and stretched out on the couch so she could rest her head in his lap. His hand dropped to comb through her curls with his fingers, tangling it into a mess she was too tired to care bout.

"We tried to talk to Logan today," Lydia said. "It failed. Horribly actually. Josh and Aspen went after Allison."

"You're both okay though."

"Well _yeah_. Josh just said some things to Allison that I would prefer she never have to hear," Lydia said. "And you know, all the banshee-hating language was pretty awful."

"Don't listen to what hunters say about us. That's just going to lead to a lot of sleepless nights," Derek said.

Lydia looked up, frowning at the faraway look in his eyes. She reached up to grab his hand and hold it between her own, smiling when he blinked and looked down at her.

"I know who the real monsters are and I know it's not us," Lydia said. "But that doesn't make their words any easier to hear." She shifted a bit and sat up. "Is there anything I can do? About Peter I mean. I'm not great at comforting, but I can try. I didn't mean to come over here just to whine."

"It's fine, Lydia," Derek said. "You're still seventeen. It's not your job to take care of me."

Lydia raised her eyebrows and swung her legs off the couch. "Didn't expect _you_ to pull the adult card on me."

"I'm just trying to take some of the burden off you. It's okay," Derek said.

"Still. If you need anything, just say," Lydia said.

"Thanks," Derek said. "You should go home though. But if you want, I'm sure Jackson wouldn't mind you swinging up to see him."

"He's still here?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah, he's upstairs with Isaac. He's...better."

"I'll go see him. Thanks." Lydia bit the inside of her cheek.

She'd been so wrapped up in her own worries, the excitement of her budding relationships with Erica and Allison, that she'd actually forgotten Jackson.

Unsurprisingly, Jackson had holed up in her room, no doubt trying to surround himself in her scent. He was curled up on her comforter, head in Isaac's lap. Isaac looked up from the book he was reading and prodded Jackson awake. Lydia climbed up onto the bed, tugging Jackson up into a sitting position as she did so.

"Hey. You doing okay?" she asked, cupping his face in her hands.

He wouldn't look at her as he gave a short nod and she frowned.

"Sorry, just not really..." Jackson pulled away and she resisted the urge to tug him back into her arms.

"Can I help?" she asked.

Jackson shook his head and laid back down. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," she said, voice struggling passed the lump in her throat.

She reached out to grab his hand, a small bit of relief washing through her when Jackson squeezed her fingers. When she looked up at Isaac, he was frowning, concern in his eyes.

"Jackson, I'll be right back," Isaac said.

He set his book aside and grabbed Lydia's hand to tug her out of the room. She swiped at her eyes, trying to stop the tears that had suddenly swelled up in her eyes. Isaac grabbed her shoulders, squeezing once as he met her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Isaac asked.

"I've just never seen him like that," Lydia said. "I mean, he's always closed off but he never pushes _me_ away. Did I do something wrong?"

Isaac shrugged, arms dropping to his sides. "I don't know. Derek said he's going to hurt for awhile."

"But this is _better_?" Lydia asked.

"Well, he's stopped crying," Isaac said. "I don't know how to make him feel better faster."

"I know, I know, I'm not saying he should just...bounce back, I just..." Lydia stared down at her feet. "I've been so happy the last few days. How can I be happy when he's like this?"

Isaac hugged her close, wrapping his lanky arms around her. "Look, Lydia, if you're happy, you're happy. No reason to feel guilty about that."

"You're right, I know that, but it doesn't make me feel any less guilty," she said.

"We'll take care of Jackson. You worry about keeping the hunters distracted," Isaac said. "We're a pack for a reason. Everyone's got their role, and Jackson knows you love him. Don't worry."

"When did you start getting smart and rational?" Lydia asked with a watery smile.

"Eh, someone started making me do my homework again so my grades started going back up. Must be that," Isaac said, smiling back.

"I will happily take all the credit for that," Lydia said. "Tell Jackson I said goodnight okay? And that I love him."

"Will do." Isaac kissed her forehead and then headed back into the room.     

Lydia took a deep breath and headed back downstairs. She spared a quick smile and wave to Derek on her way out to the car, repeating to herself over and over again that it was going to be okay.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles meets Danny's parents, Thanksgiving happens, Allison and Erica agree to protect Lydia, and Stiles fucks up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long and also sorry that it's not as long. I got really busy between finals and now I'm in London so I haven't really been writing. You can check out my tumblr as always for updates and what not. We're almost done with this fic! I'm hoping it'll be completely done by the end of June.

[The tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

Stiles was surprised at how the next two weeks unfolded. With the threat of the Casia Pack gone, their own pack became more focused. Every day, the betas hung close to Jackson, circling around their weakest link. Undoubtedly, the Grossmans noticed Jackson's weakness, especially since everyone in school seemed to notice. He was still holding his position as co-captain of the lacrosse team, but he dropped entirely out of his other social circles.

After school, everyone except Stiles and Danny went to Derek's, the rationale being that Stiles and Danny couldn't be mistaken as a part of the actual pack. It didn't help that they _knew_ they were being watched, but the Grossmans didn't make any more threatening moves. Stiles figured he was supposed to take it as a blessing, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were just preparing for something worse.

Lydia, being the blessing she was, divided her time between the rest of the pack and Stiles and Danny. She insisted they stay up on their grades, and Stiles wasn't going to complain about the help. Sure, his grades hadn't suffered nearly as bad as Scott's, but he was still digging himself out of the hole that was his GPA. Between her and Danny, Stiles was starting to feel a bit more like he had some control over his life again.

He supposed the only thing that was still problematic was-

"My God, I'm actually going to meet your parents," Stiles said.

"You won't if you don't actually let go of the steering wheel," Danny said.

"Ha, ha, fuck you," Stiles said, wincing when his voice cracked. "Sorry. I'm just slightly terrified. What if they don't like me? Hell, you didn't like me until just recently. What if all Mahealanis have a natural aversion to all Stiles Stilinskis? What if-"

Danny turned Stiles' chin and pressed their lips together to interrupt Stiles' tirade. Stiles stared at him, eyes wide, once he pulled away.

"Stiles. I _really_ like you. I'm very proud to call you my boyfriend. Now can you stop freaking out?" Danny asked.

"I think I'm going to need to be convinced one more time," Stiles said.

Danny rolled his eyes and then leaned in to kiss him. He reached up and tugged Stiles' hands off the steering wheel before ending the kiss and hopping out of the Jeep. Stiles took a deep breath and followed after him. Danny led him inside and he was greeted by the scent of baking pizza. The smell chased away the butterflies and made it growl instead.

Danny grinned at him as they kicked off their shoes. "Told you you'd like it."

"Danny? Did you bring your boyfriend with you?" a woman's voice called.

:Yeah, he's here," Danny said. He grabbed Stiles' hand and tugged him into the kitchen.

Danny's mom was tall with long jet black hair hanging down just passed her waist. She went barefoot, but wore jeans and a red flannel over-shirt, which was splattered with pizza sauce. She had an open, heart-shaped face, and she extended a hand with a wide smile.

"You can call me Alex. You're Stiles, the Sheriff's son, right?" she asked.

Stiles shook her hand. "Yup, that would be me. I promise he won't threaten Danny with arrest if he breaks up with me." He winced, dropping his hand. "Yeah, I'll stop trying to be funny."

"Don't worry about it," she said with a smile. "Could you set the table Danny? Your father should be home any second with Rose."

"Yeah sure." Danny moved to start collecting silverware from one of the drawers.

Before Stiles could move to help, Alex stepped in front of him. "You're a guest. No need to help. Why don't you tell me more about yourself instead?"

Stiles leaned back against the counter, nearly tripping over himself in the process. "Uhhhh...like what?"

Danny snorted and patted Stiles' hand as he walked by him.

"How'd you and Danny meet?" she asked, turning back towards the sink to wash her hands.

"Lacrosse. I'm on the bench mostly so if you didn't notice me, that's...fine," Stiles said.

The oven buzzed and she pulled on some oven mitts before opening it and pulling the pizza pan out. "You helped win the final last spring though, didn't you?"

"Yeah, actually," Stiles said, ignoring the way his gut tightened when he thought about what happened _after_ that match. "Back on the bench though, it's no big deal."

Before she could ask another question, the door to the garage opened and Danny's younger sister ran in, kicking her shoes off at the door before stopping at where Stiles stood. Her hair was in pigtails, and she had eyes the same shade of brown as Danny's. She was missing her two front teeth, which he noticed when she started to smile up at him, wide and big like her mother.

"Hi Danny's boyfriend!"

"Hi?"

"His name's Stiles, Rose, you know that," Danny said.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, flapping a hand at Danny in a dismissive gesture. "Can we go color?"

"After dinner maybe," Alex said. "Go wash up, sweetheart, we're eating soon."

Rose's lips formed a pout and then she raced past Stiles and headed up the stairs.

"Hello, Stiles. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Danny's father said, setting his briefcase on the counter and extending hand for Stiles to shake. "You can call me Anthony. Mr. Mahealani can be such a mouthful."

"Uh thanks," Stiles said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Alright, sit, sit everyone, the food is ready. Danny, go grab your sister and make sure she isn't getting distracted by her toys," Alex said.

Danny rolled his eyes and headed upstairs, leaving Stiles to awkwardly walk out into the dining room and take a seat beside Anthony. Alex brought over the still cooling pizza and a bowl of fresh pineapple and oranges, already sliced up. Stiles had never been particularly good at eating with his friend's families, mostly because his only real friend was Scott and Scott was family so it didn't matter how he acted.

Rose hopped up into the seat next to Stiles and poked his arm. "Do you play lacrosse too?"

"Yeah." Stiles accepted the slices of pizza Alex was doling out.

"You should teach me. Danny says I wouldn't be able to run with his lacrosse stick but you're smaller so it should be fine," Rose said with a firm nod of her head.

"I guess that's true," Stiles said.

Rose began to talk in earnest then, barely letting Stiles get a word in edgewise as she chattered. He snuck a glance across the table to meet Danny's eyes, relaxing a bit when he saw that Danny was smiling. Apparently, he wasn't nearly as bad at interacting with other people's families as he thought.

           

-.-

 

"Chris Argent called."

Stiles froze on the first step of the staircase up to his room. "Uh...yeah?" He stepped back so he could see his dad who still hadn't looked up from his paper work.

"He invited us to their house with Scott and the rest of the uh...pack for Thanksgiving," John said.

Stiles tried not to seem too relieved. "Okay. I'm down. Do you not want to or something?"

John took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I just don't see how you think it's a good idea. This man's father-"

"Tried to kill us, I know, but we've all moved past our homicidal tendencies. And hanging around the rest of them might help you loosen up about all of this," Stiles said. "I mean, I'll go, but I won't make you."

"I could...go," John said. "I want to be involved in your life again, Stiles. I want you to be able to talk to me."

Stiles looked down at the ground. "Yeah..."

He was struck again, by the urge to tell his father everything, about what was waiting for him in just over a month. But he forced himself upstairs and kept the secret buried in his chest to gnaw away at him a little longer.

 

-.-

 

Allison smacked Scott's hand away when he went to grab one of the dinner rolls. "Seriously, we made enough for everyone so no need to steal some ahead of time."

Scott pouted at her. "I won't tell if you let me steal one."

Allison huffed and held the basket out. "Fine."

Scott grabbed two and ran from the kitchen before she could protest.

Chris came in from the garage, two grocery bags in each hand. "I knew it was smart to do this when the stores will still open. How are the turkeys?"

Allison glanced at the timers as she lined more rolls up on a pan. "Ten minutes for both."

Lydia drifted into the room. "Stiles and his dad are here. I can take care of the groceries." She pointed at Chris. "You should go talk with Stiles' dad. He looks a bit overwhelmed."

Chris handed off the bags and headed for the living room. Lydia set them on the counter and turned to Allison.

"You look stressed," Lydia said.

"I'm trying to make enough food to feed six werewolves and everyone else. Why wouldn't I be?" Allison opened the oven and slid the pan in beside one of the turkeys. "But it's good stress. Is everyone okay?"

"Well, Jackson is still...lurking upstairs," Lydia said. "But I mean, everyone else is fine. I guess we'll see how Stiles' dad fares."

"Uh, hello."

Lydia and Allison turned to see John hanging awkwardly in the doorway with two store bought pies in hand. Lydia smiled and took them off his hands.

"Nice to see you, Mr. Stilinski," Lydia said. "The game's on in the living room."

"Where all the werewolves are?"

"Allison, I'll finish up in here. Why don't you go with him?" Lydia nudged Allison with her hip as she began to unpack the groceries.

Allison grabbed John's arm and steered him towards the living room. "Just remember. They're not any different than they have been. Don't freak out about it."

When they entered the living room, she could see why maybe he was so apprehensive. Derek sat beside Isaac with Erica stretched out across them, head resting in the crook of Derek's neck. Boyd and Scott sat on the loveseat across from them, with Danny and Stiles sitting on the ground in front of them. Scott's hand was trailing through Stiles' hair even though his attention was fully on Boyd as they talked.

All in all, Allison supposed the blatant signs of affection could be unnerving to someone who wasn't used to werewolf neediness. Allison guided John to the free couch and sat down beside him. Their presence received a few short looks but not much else.

"Are they always..."

"Cuddled up to each other?" Allison asked. "Yeah, you get used to it. It's a pack thing. It reinforces the bond and makes them feel safe."

"Right..." John didn't look convinced.

"If you act weird about it, they'll get weird," Allison said. She knew they could all hear her and John talking, and knew they were being careful not to look like they were listening.

"Okay, turkey is ready and cut," Lydia announced. "Single file, don't take more than you need, and someone go get Jackson."

Allison grinned at John's surprised expression when everyone crowded towards the kitchen, minus Derek who moved to head up the stairs.

"Is there...going to be enough food?" John asked.

"You get used to cooking for werewolves."

 

-.-

 

"Lydia wants you to eat with us," Derek said. "Think you can manage it?"

"Maybe," Jackson said.

He dragged himself off of Allison's bed, curling and uncurling his fingers to try and force feeling back into them, but to no avail. His brain felt like it was stuffed full of cotton, and even the pain in his chest felt distant. Derek grabbed his hand and tugged him forward, the sudden touch jarring Jackson out of his stupor. He shuddered and slumped against Derek.

The real world felt so harsh and rough, the sensations of sight and smell and touch threatening to overwhelm him. Derek held tight to him as his body worked through it all and Jackson clung to him. _Safe. Alpha. Safe. Your Alpha, the only Alpha, safe._

"If you have to stay up here, that's okay, but I think being around the rest of the pack will help," Derek said.

Jackson nodded into his chest. "I can do it."

"Alright. It's okay, Jackson."

Jackson wanted to punch him, tell him it was most definitely not okay, that he was being weak and it was inexcusable, but he was too tired to even feel disgusted with himself. Derek led him towards the door, holding his hand as they headed downstairs. Jackson tried not to cry.

 

-.-

 

John tried not to be alarmed when Derek led Jackson into the room, sitting the teen down between Isaac and Lydia. His gaze was listless, dazed, and if John didn't know better, he'd be worried that the kid was suffering from some sort of abuse or addiction or both. He was listless and pale, and John could see a bit of sweat trickling down his temple.

As the dinner continued, he watched as Isaac and Lydia made a point of handing Jackson things, their hands lingering on his. More than once, Lydia pushed Jackson's hair back even though it didn't need it. He couldn't stop himself from watching Stiles most of all though. After months and months of watching his son hide, watching the bags under his eyes grow darker, watching him struggle to control the anxiety jumping under his skin, it was odd to see him the way he was now.

Despite Jackson's listlessness, the rest of the pack seemed at ease. Stiles laughed easily, easier than John had heard him laugh in quite some time. The lines in his face that someone so young should have never had in the first place were smoothed out and there was an adoration in his eyes as he looked at nearly everyone at the table that John could only recall seeing in Stiles' eyes when he'd looked at his mother.

It was all still very strange to him, the fact that a pack of werewolves had somehow become Stiles' family when he wasn't looking. He supposed on some level he actually felt threatened by it. After all, while he'd always made a point of being the authority figure and actually being Stiles' father first and foremost, he'd always been Stiles' best friend too. It came with being a family of two he guessed.

Coming to terms with not being the only important thing in Stiles' life was...difficult.

John kept his mouth shut for most of the dinner, offering smiles of acknowledgment here and there when Stiles or Chris said something. Once, even Derek made a passing comment to him. For the most part though, John allowed the conversation to flow around him, content to just watch.

Jackson left before the second round of food, trekking back upstairs. It didn't take long for Isaac to scarf down his seconds and thirds before he headed after Jackson as though it were no big deal. Soon after, the rest of the werewolves began to file out as well, yawning and rubbing their stomachs as they made their way to the living room where the television was still playing.

"I can help with the dishes," John said as Lydia and Allison began to help Chris stack everything up. "You two should go enjoy your time with the rest. You're not adults yet."         

Lydia smiled. "Thanks Mr. Stilinski." She grabbed Allison's hand and tugged her out of the dining room before the other girl could protest.

"I take it you wanted some privacy to talk?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow as they both continued to pick up the plates that had been practically licked clean.

"Can I get much of that in a household of werewolves?" John asked.

"Point taken. We can have a beer on the back porch. Leave the dishes for later," Chris said.

John laughed. "Alright. I can't argue with that."

He followed Chris to the kitchen to grab two beers out of the fridge before heading outside onto the porch and shutting the door behind them. There were only two wooden chairs out on the empty porch. John sat down and accepted the bottle opener Chris offered him before taking a swig of his beer. The night air was cool, but not uncomfortably so, and the sky was clear with stars dotting the darkness.

"Why'd you do this?" John asked after a few quiet moments.

Chris sighed. "Because they all seemed like they could use some time to really enjoy themselves. I think they forget that they're kids sometimes."

"Yeah, I can see that," John said. Jackson's shuttered expression still wouldn't quite leave him. "What's our place in all of this, Chris? We're the adults. This mess has gotten your family killed-"

"Don't. Please," Chris said.

John took a drink from his beer and rubbed his forehead. "Sorry. That was out of line. I don't know what else to say though. If it's caused this much pain, why let it keep happening?"

"I'm not letting anything happen. You saw them tonight, how they interact. I'm a werewolf hunter and even I can see how badly those kids need each other. For better or worse, they're in this now. Stiles is in this," Chris said. "He's not about to leave Scott behind."

"Well he should." John regretted the words almost the second they left his mouth.

"For a while, I thought the same thing about Allison. For a few months, she even agreed, I think. She didn't see Scott. But she wasn't happy," Chris said. "The pack? They make her happy. Our job is just to keep them as safe as we can."

"It's all just...hard to wrap my head around I guess," John said. "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize. I understand. Truly," Chris said. "I was you once, though quite a bit younger. You've got my support though, and Stiles, and even Derek. He's a bit more difficult to talk to though."

John laughed and glanced over at him. Chris' smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks. For setting this up and the beer and letting me drag you out here."

"We all need a breather sometimes," Chris said. "Take your time. You're Stiles' father. The pack probably considers you family. They'll do anything they can to help you I'm sure."

John nodded. "I can see why Stiles finds their presence comforting."

"In a world as messy as ours...we shouldn't get in the way of the happiness they find," Chris said. "It's going to be okay, John."

John's smile died and he took another sip of his beer. He didn't want to shatter the small amount of peace he was finally getting by lingering on how fake Chris' voice sounded. He'd take the peace and happiness he could find, for Stiles' sake.

 

-.-

 

Allison kissed Lydia quick on the lips and then shoved her towards the stairs. "Go get Jackson. I've got the rest of this handled."

"Okay. Call me when everyone else is home," Lydia said.

"Mmhm."

Allison headed back into the kitchen, not entirely surprised that her dad and John had relocated to the porch without finishing the dishes. She glanced out the window and smiled as she watched them talk. She turned back to the dishes just in time for Erica to round the corner and press her up against the counter.

Allison turned in the circle of Erica's arms, holding a dish between them as she raised an eyebrow. "Something I can help you with?"

"Yup," Erica said. She plucked the dish from Allison's hands and then moved to stand next to her and rinse it off in the sink. "I thought we should have a talk and Derek is going to be too distracted helping Lydia get Jackson home to be paying much attention to what I want to say."

"This sounds really bad," Allison said as Erica shoved the wet plate into her hand. She knelt to stick it in the dishwasher and then watched as Erica began to rinse more. "Also, you really don't have to help with this. It's my house, you're our guests."

"You're really bad at letting people help you," Erica said.

"Not really, I just don't know if I can trust you not to like, stab me yet," Allison said. "That's a bit different."

"Oh come on, we are _way_ passed that. I spent the night in your bed after all," Erica said with a wink.

"Oh. Right. But still," Allison said. She accepted the next plate Erica shoved into her hands.

"I just wanted to say one thing, okay? I don't want to fight over Lydia."

Allison paused and reached over to turn off the sink, forcing Erica to meet her eyes. "Did I make it seem like I wanted to?"

"It's just...we didn't get off on the right foot and now we're both in love with the same girl so I just didn't..." Erica took a deep breath and dropped her gaze. "Didn't want it to get messy."

"Neither do I. I care about you now Erica. Not the way I care about Lydia, but you're pack. We're on the same side and I understand how pack dynamics work. I'm not going to freak out on you," Allison said. "And I only have myself to blame for you thinking that I might."

Erica smiled, a softer, genuine smile Allison was starting to see more and more. "Okay. Just wanted to be on the same page."

"Hey, with the amount of trouble Lydia can get herself into, it's not a bad thing to have us both looking out to protect her," Allison said. "You still gonna help with dishes?"

 

=.=

 

Stiles yawned and scratched his belly as he watched the dollar signs increase as the gas flowed into the tank of his Jeep. His stomach was still full from all the food he'd packed away at the Thanksgiving dinner and while he was no werewolf, but he could still hold his own at a table.

His father had waved him home, saying he was free to do what he liked or stay where he liked. Danny had decided to go home with Jackson so Lydia didn't have to worry about it, mostly to field questions from Jackson's parents and keep him safe from himself. Stiles got that, really, but he'd sort of wanted to end the night with a movie curled up on Danny's lap. With an exaggerated sigh, he pulled out his phone and shot Scott a text to see if he was busy.

After pocketing his phone, Stiles stopped the flow of gas and jammed the nozzle back into its slot. When he turned back around, Aspen and Piper had flanked either side of his Jeep. Stiles glanced between them and then back towards the store. The usual cashier was nowhere in sight.

"Hey there, ladies," Stiles said, stepping up onto the platform the pump was on as they closed in on him. "Normally, I'd totally be down for the twin thing but I'm taken now so if we could revisit this particular fantasy at a later date, that would be just fantastic."

"We know you're the Argent's Champion," Aspen said. "You can feed us all the bullshit lies you want, but there aren't any female Champions for hire. It has to be you."

"You _really_ know nothing of tactful questioning do you?" Stiles asked.

Piper moved like a snake, jamming Stiles up against the pump. Stiles dropped his hand to the nearest nozzle but otherwise remained limp in Piper's grasp.

"You _never_ shut up, do you?" she asked. She was pressed so close that her light brown hair dusted Stiles' cheekbones.

"Yeah, no, not really, ever, actually," Stiles said with a shaky smile. "But you really think I'm the Champion? Have you met me?"

"If we weren't sure, we wouldn't be here," Aspen said, folding her arms across her chest. "The fight is in less than a month. If Piper were to break your arm right now, I wonder if they'd be able to come up with a replacement in time?"

Piper dropped her free hand to Stiles' wrist, thankfully not the one he had wrapped around the gas pump handle. "A wrist would serve just as well. Which do you prefer?"

Stiles met Piper's eyes. "I'm really sorry about this."

He ripped the pump out of its holder and clocked her hard in the side of the head. She dropped like a rock and Stiles spun to face Aspen, tossing the pump again and knocking her out cold as well. The pump dangled from its cable when Stiles dropped it and he let out a rough sigh before putting it back in place. Hands shaking, he dug around in his trunk for some spare rope to tie Aspen with and then laid her down in the backseat.

Next, he patted Piper down and took her gun and small collection of knives before placing her in the front seat. He glanced around the gas station and then hopped in the front seat, resolving to eventually come back and pay the owner. For a long moment, he sat in the front seat, trying to fight the panic bouncing around in his chest.

"One day, my life isn't going to be a train wreck," he muttered.

He shifted the Jeep into gear and began to drive. It took him awhile to remember where the Grossman's house was, but eventually, he rolled up across the street from their driveway. He nudged Piper until she woke and then pinned her back against the seat with his arm when she started to struggle.

"Calm down. I brought you home," Stiles said.

Piper's eyes were dazed when she turned to look at him, one hand drifting up to check over where he clocked her. "Why?"

"Don't know. Just get out and grab your sister before I change my mind," Stiles said.

Piper stared at him for another long moment before crawling out of the front seat to grab Aspen. He waited until they reached the front door before driving away.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson and Derek finally start sorting out their issues, Allison and Lydia find some release, and Stiles tries to find some last minute comfort before he goes off to risk his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short. I've been feeling rather uninspired by Teen Wolf as of late. Hopefully I can still finish this by the beginning of July. Half of the next chapter's already written so fingers crossed. Also, fair warning that there is lots of lesbian sex ahead of you. Tread with caution if that is not something you like I guess.

A few weeks passed, and the pain of Olivia's leaving still sat like a hunk of lead in Jackson's chest. Derek didn't seem particularly worried at Jackson's lack of progress, so Jackson supposed that was a good sign. He still felt like he was going through the motions, every experience dull and blurred along the edges, and his home still didn't feel like home. The Hale House was better.

Jackson had started to learn how insecure Derek was in his power. He danced around Jackson's broken mind, too worried that he'd make it worse. Jackson still hadn't figured out how to tell him that it was basically impossible to break him anymore than he already was.

"Hello, boys, I come baring food," Lydia said.

Jackson looked up from where he was stretched out on the couch, head pillowed on Derek's thigh. Lydia was carrying a pizza with bacon if he was to trust his nose, in one hand, and a bag of books in another. His stomach growled as he sat up, a sign of his slowly returning appetite.

"Also, your parents called my cellphone. They want you to go to home to talk about Christmas plans," Lydia said. She set the pizza down on the coffee table. "But food first. I'll get drinks."

"She certainly doesn't mess around," Derek said, lips quirking up. "You up for eating?"

Jackson nodded and opened the first box. "What's with the bag of books?"

"No idea," Derek said as he took a slice. "So what's this Christmas stuff about?"

Jackson winced and then used a big bite of food to delay his answer. "Parents like to go to a ski-lodge in Colorado. Usually."

"You can't go alone," Derek said.

It was the first time in a long while that Derek had actually given him a direct order, and Jackson could feel some of the tension leave him. He narrowed his eyes.

"Fuck you, I'll do whatever I want," Jackson said. He shoved the reset of the slice in his mouth and glared pointedly away from Derek.

"It's not good for you to be away from us. You're too breakable right now," Derek said.

"I'm not-"

"Jackson, stop," Lydia said as she re-entered the room, glasses of water in each hand. "Derek might not see what you're doing, but I do."

Derek looked incredulous. "What?"

"He's playing you. Making you react and put him in his place," Lydia said. She set the glasses down and then grabbed one of the books out of her bag. "I'll be downstairs. You two go ahead and sort yourselves out."

Jackson glanced over at Derek. "She's totally right. Can't even argue."

"You want me to put you in your place?" Derek asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, no, I Just want you to actually _be_ an Alpha. I'm not made of fucking glass," Jackson said. "You're being so freaking careful, it's like you're not even real. Like you're not an actual Alpha."

Derek growled, snatching Jackson's arm and hauling him to his feet. His fists curled in Jackson's sweatshirt, claws poking holes in it. Jackson felt his mind click off and he went limp as the tension drained out of him. The red bled out of Derek's eyes as Jackson let his face bury into Derek's neck.

"Took you long enough," Jackson mumbled.

Derek released him slow enough that he wasn't just dropping Jackson. After another moment, he wrapped his arms around Jackson's waist and hauled him closer.

"Jackson...I'm sorry. I don't know what to do," Derek said.

"It's okay," Jackson said, a bitter laugh forcing its way out of his chest. "But...I think I'm hungry now."

Derek rubbed his shoulders. "That's new."

"Yeah." Jackson let himself fall back against the couch. "Wouldn't mind having someone to share it with though."

Derek sat down next to him and opened the first box. "Can't refuse an offer like that."

 

-.-

 

"I can't believe no one has ever taken this guy out before. He's so predictable," Stiles said.

Deaton paused the video. "His name precedes him. He takes advantage of his reputation. No one's bothered to analyze his patterns before, perhaps because no one's been at such a great disadvantage as you are."

"Thanks for that, that's really helpful," Stiles said.

"Now look, he'll want to go for where your grip seems weakest. If you tempt him to go to the right part of the staff, you can use his momentum against him," Deaton said. "We'll go through it again. One more time."

Stiles groaned and got to his feet as Deaton shut the laptop and grabbed the whip off the table. "You said that five times ago."

Deaton didn't even allow a smile. He'd grown progressively more serious about Stiles' training, insisting Danny stay out of the way and Stiles stay completely focused. "Once you can perform these moves perfectly every time, we won't have to do them anymore."

Stiles didn't grab his staff, instead folding his arms across his chest. "Fine. Makes sense, but answer me one question." 

Deaton raised his eyebrows.

"Do you actually think I can do this?" Stiles asked. "And don't say 'yes, of course', because you've spent the last few weeks telling me over and over again how small my chances are. So. Do you actually think I can do this?"

"I don't know," Deaton said. "You're not a killer, Stilinski. There's a way to win this without killing him, but you lack the drive needed that would make you capable of killing. That's something that your enemies will always have over you, and I think that is more of a disadvantage than your actual skill level."

"Then why are you doing this, if I'm so hopeless?" Stiles asked.

"Because you have a habit of surprising me," Deaton said. "Everyone knows Scott is destined for great things. He's smart and knows how to turn a bad situation into a good one. You're smart too, but you're not the person I would place my bets on. I'd like for you to prove me wrong."

 

-.-

 

"Jackson go home?" Lydia asked.

Derek looked up from the book he'd gotten from Chris' collection to see Lydia hovering in the archway to the living room. "Yeah, he's feeling a bit better."

"Good. And I see you both managed to pick up after yourselves," Lydia said. She moved over to the couch, laying down between Derek's legs with her head on his chest.

"We aren't totally helpless and I am actually an adult," Derek said.

"I'm aware," Lydia said. "Those books helpful at all?"

"There's a lot on supernatural creatures. Just a few mentions of banshees but not much," Derek said. He ran a hand through her hair. "Are you okay?"

"Just tired," Lydia said. "I think I need a break from taking care of everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, just. I'm getting worn out, being the referee all the time," Lydia said. "Don't get me wrong, I love you all but I just need a break." She turned her cheek against his chest.

"You've been cleaning up my messes too," Derek said. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Lydia said. "I'm okay with it, really, I just...god it feels good to relax."

Derek shoved both of his hands into her hair, rubbing at her temples with his thumbs. "After everything with the Grossmans get settled, we'll spend some time making you feel better. All of us."

"Oh?" Lydia smirked and tilted her head back to look at him. "That sounds like a bit more fun than you want, Derek." Derek went red and Lydia laughed, turning onto her stomach and propping her chin up on his abs. "You seem quite a bit more talented with men after all."

"That's not all I'm capable of," Derek said.

"Yeah?" Lydia grinned at him.

"After," Derek said, hand running through her hair again. "You've just started something with Allison and Erica, Lydia. Slow down a bit, okay?"

Lydia frowned and pushed herself up so she was leaning over him, red hair spilling over Derek's face. "What do you mean?"

Derek reached up and cupped her face, thumb rubbing over her cheekbone. "I mean you always try and do so much at once. I can wait. I just need you to take your time alright? No need to rush into anything with me too."

"Do you not...want me?"

"I didn't realize you wanted me," Derek said. "I thought you were joking at first."

"I guess I was but...I'm not opposed to it," Lydia said. "You make me feel relaxed when no one else can. I wouldn't mind."

"Then let's wait," Derek said. "Until we have everything else sorted out. Then we'll talk about...maybe something more."

Lydia smiled. "Alright. For now...more reading?"

Derek smiled back at her. "Always, it seems."

 

-.-

 

Allison opened her door, surprised to see Lydia standing there. "You didn't phone."

"Sorry, I thought you wouldn't mind me popping in," Lydia said.

"No, it's definitely fine," Allison said, opening the door wider, a smile stretching her lips. "Dad's not home..."

"Good," Lydia said.

She grabbed Allison's hand and tugged her through the living room and up the stairs. Allison managed to kick the door shut beforehand though, and when they were at the top, Lydia spun around and pressed their lips together. Allison hesitated a moment before kissing back just as hard, her free hand falling to Lydia's hip and curling in the fabric of her skirt.

"What brought this on?" Allison asked in a breathless voice when Lydia pulled back.

"I...just want to relax," Lydia said.

Allison raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Sorry, that came out wrong," Lydia said, hands moving to squeeze Allison's shoulders. "I just mean. I went to Derek because he's the Alpha and just...being around him is relaxing but he's not interested in this sort of thing..."

Somehow, Allison's eyebrows rose higher. "Are you serious? You tried to get with Derek and it didn't work so now you're here?"

"That's not what I meant. I mean that I went to Derek's to relax and it wasn't going to work out because I wanted this and that's not a step he and I are willing to take," Lydia said. "You help me relax to Allison. You're my best friend and my girlfriend and you know I love you."

"But you want to get with Derek," Allison said.

"Is that a problem? I thought we agreed it wouldn't be?" Lydia took a step back. "Allison..."

Allison ran her hands through her hair, shaking it out. "Sorry I just...it's Derek. It's not Erica or Isaac or Jackson, but Derek and I..." She shook her head and then looked up at Lydia, smiling. "You know, let's worry about it later. We have a good few hours and I have a beautiful girlfriend, and I'm not about to spoil that."

Lydia wanted to be the responsible one and insist they talk about it, but then Allison was tugging her into her bedroom and pressing her into the wall. She could feel the strength and power in Allison's grip, not like Erica, not submissive and beautiful Erica willing to give in to Lydia's will with a harsh word. No, Allison was like Derek, a hard will that clashed against Lydia's, a challenge, a presence that let her know she didn't have to be the strongest person in the room.

They tumbled back onto the bed, tugging and pulling at one another's clothes, a fight she couldn't quite win. A fight she didn't want to win. It wasn't until they had both shed their shirts and Lydia's skirt was pushed down to her knees that Allison pulled back and Lydia realized the position she had worked herself into. Allison's hand was like a vice, pinning both of Lydia's up above her head, and her free hand was trailing over Lydia's ribs with a light and playful touch.

"This what you needed?" Allison asked with a smile as she looked down at her.

"Yeah," Lydia whispered. "Make me feel it. Make me feel you. I want to know you're not going to let me go."

"I've never let you go." Allison ducked her head and kissed Lydia's jaw, then her neck and down to the valley of her breasts.

Lydia watched, flushing red, as Allison's back arched so she could keep Lydia's hands pinned even as she began to kiss and suck at the swell of Lydia's breasts. Eventually she had to let go though, only long enough to divest Lydia of her bra and then her hands moved to Lydia's hips as she pressed her tongue flat against one of her nipples.

Lydia arched against her, gasping when Allison forced her hips hard down onto the bed in response. She tried again, just to feel Allison force her down once more, a breathless moan escaping her. Allison dug her blunt fingernails into the curve of Lydia's skin, just hard enough to provide a counterpoint to the pleasure of her tongue. Allison pulled off then and slammed their lips together, tongue sliding in deep to tangle with Lydia's as she slid one hand down to grind the heel of her palm against Lydia's clit through her panties.

"That good?" Allison asked against her lips, voice breathless and a bit hesitant despite the obvious force of her actions.

"Yeah, yes, Allison, please," Lydia begged. She shoved her hands into Allison's hair and kissed her again, sucking at Allison's lower lip when Allison slid her fingers past her underwear to slide into her. "Allison!"

Allison's lips fell to her neck, sucking a harsh bruise into her pale skin as she began to pump her fingers. It was good, there was no doubt about that, but she continued to tease Lydia, not giving her the pressure she so desperately wanted on her clit. Lydia tried to work her hips up but Allison easily held her down with her free hands, smirking against Lydia's skin.

Finally, Allison settled the heel of her palm against Lydia's clit once more, rubbing in the same pumping rhythm of her fingers. Lydia keened, back arching as Allison's fingers rubbed against the perfect spot within her, the noise ending in a choked moan as she smacked her head back against the pillow. Her thighs shook, so close to her climax but not quite there but then-

Teeth sunk into the juncture of her neck and collarbone, pain blossoming outward and forcing Lydia over the edge. Allison released her tight grip on Lydia's hips, letting Lydia writhe and buck beneath her as she tumbled over the edge. Allison's fingers slid out of her and she bracketed her body around Lydia's, a warm and unmoving cocoon. Lydia opened her eyes slowly as the tremors finished working through her body, smiling up at Allison.

"Yeah that....that was good," Lydia mumbled, a lazy smile stretching over her lips.

Allison grinned down at her and pressed their lips together again. "Yeah? Good to hear."

Lydia let her hands fall out of Allison's hair to trail down her back and over the smooth skin of her sides before sliding her hands back up to cup her breasts. Allison pressed her forehead to Lydia's, biting her lip when Lydia flicked her thumbs over both of her nipples. She ground down into Lydia's hip, her panties wet and slick against Lydia's skin.

"You should take those off," Lydia said, dropping her hands to Allison's hips and snagging them around the hem.

Allison leaned back, rocking off the bed to stand on the floor instead. Lydia followed after her, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching as Allison shimmied out of the black panties. Then, Lydia fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Allison's waist. Allison followed her actions, parting her legs and then tangling her fingers in Lydia's red hair as Lydia ran her tongue over the wet slit of her pussy.

Lydia found her clit immediately, flicking her tongue over it the way she liked it herself. Allison rocked into her mouth, gasping out Lydia's name as she did so. Her muscles spasmed and fluttered and Lydia rubbed her hands along her thighs just to feel what she was able to do to the huntress. She shifted to slide her tongue into the wet warmth of Allison's cunt, letting her slick juices run over her tongue as she did so.

"Lydia, oh my... _fuck Lydia!_ "

Allison's knees buckled as Lydia sucked once more at her clit and Lydia helped her ease down onto the ground, folding into Lydia's lap as she jerked and spasmed. Their lips met again and Allison moaned into it as she tasted herself on Lydia's tongue.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" Lydia murmured against Allison's lips.

"You are too," Allison said as she pulled back. "Can't say I was expecting this but...good way to end my day."

Lydia cupped her jaw and kissed her again. "Love you."

"I love you too," Allison said with a smile. "So...nap?"

Lydia laughed, burying her face in Allison's neck. "I can do that."

 

-.-

 

"So what's happening this weekend?"

Stiles bounced on the balls of his feet as he readjusted his backpack on his shoulder. "Just hanging at Derek's, me and Scott are I mean. ACT studying and all that. Derek's done all that crap so we figured why not."

John raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, like, 8 years ago."

"You don't even know how old he is so you can't just say that," Stiles said. "Look, it's not a big deal, Dad. I'll be back Sunday."

"Right, right." His dad continued to look at him, as if he was trying to figure out what it was that had Stiles so jumpy. "You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you? We agreed to be honest."

"I know, Dad, I know," Stiles said. He moved away from the door to hug his dad, eyes closing as his heart raced, eyes burning from the urge to cry. "I'm fine. It's all fine. Don't worry."

John hugged him tighter before releasing him, squeezing Stiles' shoulder one more time. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

Stiles forced himself to walk out of the house before his fear made him stay behind. The drive over to Derek's passed in a blur, and when he reached the house, he ended up sitting in the front seat for a long while, hands braced on the wheel as he tried to convince himself to go in. Tomorrow morning, Chris Argent would be picking him up with Danny and Allison and they would be driving to some still unknown location to finally settle their problems with the Grossmans once and for all.

Erica opened the front door, peering out at Stiles and tilting her head to the side before hopping down the steps and sauntering towards the Jeep. Stiles took a deep breath and opened the door so he could step out before she reached him, offering her a somewhat shaken smile.

"Hey," she said, voice quiet. She wasn't wearing her usual make up, and was dressed in what Stiles guessed were some of Boyd's clothes given the way they hung off of her. "You okay?"

Stiles swallowed. "Not at all."

Erica slid her hands through his hair and kissed him once on the lips before grabbing his hand. "It's going to be okay."

Stiles let Erica pull her back into the house, straight passed the living room and up to her bedroom. He dropped his bag by the door and let it shut behind him. Erica pulled him up onto the bed, folding her legs beneath her.

"You're like, radiating stress," Erica said.

"Really, I wonder why?" Stiles' voice cracked and he ducked his head.

Erica leaned forward and pressed their lips together again. "Danny's gonna be here in a few hours. He'll be able to help."

Stiles knew rationally that yes, she was right, but he wanted nothing more than to curl up in Erica's arms. Erica seemed to know it too, because after another moment of hesitation, she grabbed his arm and hauled him forward with her more than human strength. He ended up straddling Erica's lap with his face buried in her neck and the scent of her shampoo and Boyd's cologne in his nose.

For a long while, they stayed like that, Erica's hands smoothing up and down his back and rubbing the tense muscles of his neck. His racing heartbeat slowed, and he wondered if it was not just her presence but the fact that she was pack and that she had some sort of protective aura that seemed to roll off of her.

"I'm so scared," Stiles murmured.

"I know. You should be," Erica said after a moment. "Fear keeps you quick. Fear makes you work harder."

"Screw that," Stiles said. His fingers curled in her baggy t-shirt. "I just...I don't want to die, Erica. I don't want to die when I haven't gotten to experience the things I've always wanted. I mean, I'm still a virgin. And Danny and I haven't gotten a proper date. And I've only talked to Boyd a few times and I don't want to leave my Dad alone in the world because there's no way he can handle losing me too, not after my mom, and I just-"

The words cut off with a rough sob as he clung to her, shoulders shaking as tears began to run hot tracks from his eyes. Erica made a wounded sound and curled around him, elbow jabbing against his shoulder as she tried to cover him completely with her long limbs. He bit hard at his lip, trying to stifle the sobs but eventually he gave in and let the fear swamp over him completely.

Erica held onto him, a steady rock in the flood of emotions and adrenaline that pumped through him, making his head spin and his lungs feel like they couldn't get enough air. He rooted himself to her, her sweet smell, the softness of her hair, the sweat on her neck, the soft, almost fraying fabric of the cotton shirt she wore; the strength of the muscles in her arms that bracketed around him like protective walls.

"Stiles, it's okay, Stiles, God I promise, it's going to be okay, Stiles..."

Erica's words were interrupted only by her own quiet, hiccupping cries. Her tears fell into Stiles' hair. He was dimly aware of the door opening, and then strong arms curling around them both and hauling them close. He let himself drift, let every emotion course through him until finally he settled, coming back into awareness. Erica's limbs were tangled with his in a haphazard mess, their faces mashed into one another's necks where they lay cradled on Derek's lap. He had a hand on the back of each of their necks, a steady and warm weight that helped Stiles' root himself fully back into his body.

"I can't do this," Stiles whispered.

Erica's fist clenched tight in the back of his shirt. "Yes you can..."

"You've got us," Derek said, voice low. "You've got your pack, Stiles. Don't forget that."

Stiles tangled his fingers in Erica's hair and tried to imprint the memory of it all in his mind.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles makes a horrible miscalculation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief allusions to self harm later in this chapter just as a heads up. Final chapter should be up relatively soon~

Chris Argent knocked on the door to the Hale House at six in the morning. Stiles had been up for an hour already, sandwiched between Erica and Danny's warm bodies and doing his best to memorize their features in the pre-dawn light. It didn't make him feel any better though, no matter how long he stared at either of them or ran his fingers over the worry lines on their faces.

Derek had prepared a light breakfast for them all, something to give Stiles energy without sending his stomach into even more knots. They ate in silence, and when Chris knocked on the door, it was a relief in a twisted way. Stiles just wanted it to be over with, no matter what way the fight ended up going.

The car ride out of Beacon Hills was quiet, the radio as silent as the house had been. It would have felt fake somehow to have it on, like it was just some normal trip when they all knew it wasn't. Allison refused to look at him, but he could read the guilt in her face which was stupid because Stiles had made his choice and none of it was her fault. Part of him wanted to say so, but the words stuck hard in his chest, so he said nothing.

They pulled up to their destination two hours later, a run down factory in the middle of the woods located at the dead end of a dirt road. All and all it was just as sketchy as Stiles thought it would be.

"So the big bad hunter Council operates out of an abandoned factory?" Danny asked after Chris had parked. His voice seemed too loud after so many hours of silence.

"This is just the location," Chris said. "Somewhere far from civilization. A good place to hide the loser's body."

"Wait, so if I die, I'd just be buried out here?" Stiles asked as he climbed out of the car. "You wouldn't be able to take my body back to my dad?"

Chris shook his head. "The Council prefers to just let people go missing."

"Wonderful."

Allison swung in front of Stiles before he could step away from the car. "Look, I know your plan. I know you're going to try and win this without killing him but-"

"No, I am _definitely_ going to win this without killing him," Stiles corrected.

Allison took a deep breath and unstrapped one of her knives that were usually clipped to her belt. "Just take this. Please."

Stiles stared at it for a moment before taking it and clipping it to his own belt. "Fine. But I'm not going to need it."

He grabbed Danny's hand and they followed Chris and Allison inside. The front door opened to a large open warehouse like space. In the middle was a large circle outlined in what Stiles guessed was just white chalk. Two feet passed the circle was a long white plastic table, like the kind Stiles always saw at buffets or parties with three basic metal chairs seated on one side of it. It was there where who he assumed were the Council members sat.

In the middle sat a woman who actually reminded him a bit too much of Allison's mother. Her jaw was a firm line, and her eyes a striking blue that seemed to stare right into Stiles' mind, even with so much distance between them. Her hair was long though, and a dark brown instead of the deep red of Allison's mother. She wore simple street clothes, and if it weren't for the look in her eye, Stiles would have just assumed she was another regular human, not a hunter.

To her left was a short, lightly built man, bald, but with tattoos crawling up his neck and across where his arms were exposed by his black t-shirt. One of his green eyes was clear, but the other was misted over and looking off to the side. A knotted scar made it's way from his temple across the bad eye and down to his jaw.

The final member was another woman, much older with hands crippled by swollen joints. Her hair was as long as the first woman's, but a pale white color instead, and her blue eyes were just as sharp.

To the right of the table stood Sean, Josh, Aspen, Sara, Lisa, and of course Henno Streiter himself. It was impossible for Stiles not to recognize him, having memorized his moves for so many months. He was much more intimidating in real life though, all burly muscle with scars of past battles. His brown hair was cropped short, similar to the way Stiles used to wear his, but Stiles didn't care about any of that, his eyes narrowing instead on the whip curled at his hip.

"Well, we're all here then," the first woman said, rising up to her feet. "Michael, if you could please retrieve everyone's weapons?"

The bald man, Michael, rose to his feet and grabbed a silver coffee tray as well as a metal detector. The Grossmans put two guns each on the tray and spread their limbs for Michael to check them over. He skipped over Streiter and then treated Allison, Chris, and Danny to the same process. He put the tray on the ground by his chair and took a seat without another word.

"I am Tanya Asire, of the Asire Family. Michael is from the Jones Family, and Natasha is the head of the Paulk Family. The three of us represent all of the hunter families in the United States," the first woman said. "I am the current head of the Council and any decisions I make are final and must be honored. If the Argent Family's Champion wins, the lands of Beacon Hills will not be under the jurisdiction of anyone but the Argent Family. The Grossman Family must vacate the lands within 24 hours. Should the Grossman Family's Champion win, these same rules will apply to the Argent Family. If one of the Champions decide to concede, that will be taken as a loss. Are there any questions?"

When no one said anything, Tanya took a seat. "Families, please step back at least five feet from the arena. Champions, please enter and ready your staffs."

Streiter moved first, pulling his staff out of the sling on his back and grinning wide as he met Stiles' eyes. Stiles glanced at Danny one last time before stepping into the white circle and pulling his staff out of its sling as well.

Stiles readied his staff, sucking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. Streiter's grip was loose and easy on his own staff, completely at ease. For a brief moment, Stiles felt as though he were going to puke. He'd have to be absolutely insane to truly think he could take the man on. His entire life had been nothing but a series of failures he miraculously survived long enough to fall into the next.

_You've got us. You've got your pack, Stiles. Don't forget that."_

Streiter lunged across the circle and Stiles knocked the staff aside with a flick of his wrist. He spun around Streiter's next thrust and dealt a few rapid-fire blows of his own, forcing Streiter back. Streiter settled low, knees bending, before jabbing up towards Stiles' throat. Stiles let himself sway back out of the way before darting forward.

He released his two handed grip on the staff and let it twirl itself under Streiter's guard to hook behind the man's staff. Stiles grinned and yanked hard, sending the flying through the air and then clattering across the ground.

Streiter barely broke stride, hand snapping down to his waist to snag the handle of his whip. Stiles danced back as the length of corded leather unfurled to trail along the ground. His feet slid to the same position he'd been practicing for so long, hands fitting into the well-worn grooves.

Streiter flicked the whip at him and Stiles twisted, wincing as it licked across his neck. The pain was a distant thing though as Stiles shifted into the next position, luring Streiter in to strike what Stiles hoped would be the move he'd watched over and over again in the tapes supplied by Deaton.

Just as predicted, Streiter's whip snapped around the upper part of the staff. He yanked, hard, and Stiles curled his fingers tight around the staff and twisted his hands. The joint snapped, revealing a long length of chain. Stiles seized Streiter's brief moment of hesitation to yank the man forward and unbalance him.

Stiles released the other end of the staff and tossed it. With a sickening crack, it smashed into Streiter's nose, the motion and the sound reminding Stiles all too much of what he had done to Aspen just a short time ago. The man shouted, and Stiles yanked him forward again to drive his foot into the man's gut, finally forcing the man to release his grip on the whip.

Stiles tossed the whip away and snapped the staff back to its normal shape. He pivoted neatly on his heel and drove the staff into Streiter's chin, sending him sprawling. Blood poured from Streiter's nose, but Stiles tried not to think too hard about that as he moved to stand above him, jamming his staff hard against Streiter's throat.

"Hurry up and kill me, _kid_." Streiter's words were like the snarled words of a caged animal.

"No. Concede your defeat, and I'll let you live. No one has to die today," Stiles said.

Streiter's grin was bloody. " _Fine._ I concede."

Stiles let out a tense breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He stepped away and backed up. After another moment, he turned to face Chris, Allison, and Danny, a ridiculous grin he couldn't quite stop splitting his lips.

Danny's eyes widened and he pointed behind Stiles. Stiles reacted without thinking. His hand fell to the knife clipped to his hip, yanking it free of its sheath as he rolled to the side. He spun and hurled the knife, sucking in a tight breath when it buried itself in Streiter's throat. Streiter crumpled, the knife he had pulled to hurl at Stiles dropping to the ground with a clatter.

"No-" Stiles fell forward onto his knees. "No!"

"Danny, grab him-"

"Stiles-"

"This is-"

"He can't do that-"

Danny's arms wrapped around his shoulders, hauling him up to his feet and back towards the wall. Allison stepped passed them into the ring, kneeling at Streiter's side and ripping out the knife from his throat. The knife _Stiles_ had put there. His knees went weak and he collapsed back into Danny's weight.

"Get him out of here. Now!" Chris ordered.

Stiles clung to Danny's arm and let himself be dragged away.

 

-.-

 

Allison stared down at Streiter's eyes, the din of the Grossman's screaming at the Council falling into the back of her mind. For a brief moment, she wondered what Lydia felt every time she stumbled across a dead body. There was no mistaking death for sleep. She couldn't remember ever being so naïve to make that mistake.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and then knelt to wipe the blood off the knife and onto Streiter's shirt. Silence fell almost immediately as she rose back up to full height. Lisa and Sara had their hands on their empty gun holsters, and Sean's eyes had narrowed into a harsh glare but Allison just let her glance slide over to the table the where Council sat.

"We win, then,"

Tanya stood, bracing her hands on the table. "Yes. You have. The Grossman Family has no right to the land of Beacon Hills. They must evacuate the area within twenty-four hours. They may not return."

"Good. Make them sign," Allison said. She held Tanya's gaze, chin lifted.

Michael handed the contract to Tanya who in turn gestured for the Grossmans to sign it. Slowly, each of the adults took a pen and signed their names, and Allison allowed herself a smile.

"Chris, please take the contract from Tanya," Allison said.

Her father obeyed, following her example and meeting the eyes of every person on the Council. Once he and the contract were out of the way, Allison strode forward, pushing Sara and Lisa aside to slam the knife down on the table.

"An innocent boy killed a man today with this knife. He was trained to defend my family name because of your outdated and prejudiced rules," Allison said. "The death of his innocence is on _all_ of our hands. I'm not going to stand for it any longer. The Argent Family revokes the beliefs and practices of this Council. We will not obey your policies. We will hold our ground. Do not send anyone to test us again, because next time, I _promise_ you, it will not end as neatly as this."

She turned towards the Grossmans. "The contract you signed is still valid. Don't try and fight it, I checked Council laws. You _will_ leave my town tonight. If you do not, we will destroy you."

"Without the Council's protection, you will not survive," Tanya said.

Allison looked back at her. "We will never need your protection."

"No? There are families bigger and stronger than yours. They will come after you and it will be a bloody battlefield," Natasha said.

"Let them. They'll lose. The Argent Family is protected," Allison said.

"Oh? By who?" Michael asked.

"By the Children of the Wild Ones. That's what my family called them when they started the first family of hunters back in France. The Hale Pack is our protector now. I am a part of their pack, and they are all a part of our family. So you go ahead and let those other families come after us. Beacon Hills is ours and _no one_ is taking it away."

 

-.-

 

Danny passed his fingers through Stiles' hair once more, his eyes still burning from tears he'd already shed, and the tears that still wanted to fall. Stiles had fallen asleep almost the moment he'd laid down in the back of Chris Argent's car. His own eyes were swollen and red from his own breakdown only a few hours before. There was anger in Danny's chest, but he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to hurl the words at the Argents when they didn't actually deserve them; they had all made their own choices after all.

"Where should we drop you off?" Chris asked as they pulled up to another stoplight.

"The Hale House," Danny said.

"We could take care of him," Allison said. "It's the least we could-"

"You've done enough," Danny said, staring down at Stiles', fingers clenching into a fist around the soft strands of Stiles' hair.

"Danny, I'm-"

"Seriously, Allison," Danny snapped. He looked up finally, glaring at her in the rearview mirror. "I really can't do this right now."

"Right, sorry."

Danny texted Erica and Scott as they continued driving, and by the time they pulled up to the Hale House, Scott, Erica, Isaac, and Derek were all sitting on the porch. Erica, Isaac and Derek hung back when they came to a stop, but Scott leapt off the porch and raced over to the back passenger side door, opening it before Danny could get the chance. Stiles' eyes squeezed tighter at the noise and he let out a whimper, clinging to Danny's side.

When Danny looked up at Scott, the werewolf looked heartbroken. Danny got out first, tugging Stiles with him, and together, he and Scott carried him into the house. Erica was on their heels, and they passed Derek and Isaac on their way to speak with Chris and Allison.

"What do we do?" Erica whispered as they set Stiles down on the bed.

Stiles folded in on himself on the mattress, curling into a tight ball. Danny didn't hesitate to crawl onto the bed with him, spooning up against his back and holding him close as he shuddered. The tears had started again, fast and hot down Stiles' cheeks, and the next moment, Scott was on the bed too, straightening Stiles' out enough to press up against his front.

Danny brushed his lips to the back of Stiles' neck as Stiles' wrapped his arms around Scott's shoulders and buried his face against the werewolf's chest. He glanced over at Erica but she just shook her head and left, closing the door behind her. Danny turned his attention back to Stiles, thumbs rubbing over his stomach as Scott continued to pepper Stiles' forehead with kisses.

"Just go to sleep, Stiles, we've got you," Scott whispered.

Stiles didn't say a word, but soon his breathing evened out and Danny let his own eyes close too.

 

-.-

 

Stiles came to cradled in Scott's arms. Danny was spooned up behind him, broad hand splayed over Stiles' heart. Stiles sucked in a tight breath and then pushed Danny's arm away so he could wiggle out from between the two. Almost immediately, Scott stirred and sat up, hand wrapping around Stiles' wrist before he could go very far. Biting his lip, Stiles looked up at him.

"Just gonna go shower, calm down," he muttered.

He escaped to the bathroom before Scott could protest. For a long while, he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, hands gripping the edges of the sink. He didn't _look_ any different, minus the swollen eyes of course. On some level he'd been hoping that he _would_ look different; after all, he had killed a man just hours ago. Streiter would never breath again, or fight, or look at himself in the mirror, not like Stiles still could.

Stiles' chest contracted hard and he barely managed to make it to the toilet before the contents of his stomach decided to evacuate his body. With a quiet moan, he spit a tiny bit more into the basin and then pressed his forehead to the cold porcelain. A few stray tears escaped his eyes as he caught his breath, and when he finally pulled away, Scott was standing in the doorway.

"What do you need?" Scott asked.

"Toothbrush would be nice," Stiles said after a moment. "It's uh, in my bag."

Scott nodded and went to grab it as Stiles dragged himself up off the ground. Scott hovered behind him, a hand at Scott's lower back as Stiles brushed his teeth and cleaned up his face. His skin still felt dirty though, like something was crawling beneath it and eating him from the inside out.

"I'm...gonna take a shower," Stiles said, turning to look back at Scott.

"Okay. I need to talk to Derek so if you need something, call for Danny, okay?" Scott kissed his forehead and left the room for him.

Stiles stripped out of his clothes and turned on the shower. He stepped in and began to wash in a slight daze and it wasn't until the skin of his arms began to burn that he realized he'd rubbed his skin almost raw. For a few moments, he just closed his eyes and tilted his head back into the spray, taking a deep breath as his arms stung and burn, a small punishment in comparison to what he knew he deserved.

All at once though, he snapped out of it and jerked the water off. Breath coming in short gasps, he stared down at the angry red skin of his arms.

"Shit...Danny?" Stiles leaned back against the shower wall. "Danny?"

The bathroom door opened and Danny stepped in, cursing under his breath when he saw Stiles curling in on himself. He held out a hand and helped Stiles out of the shower before wrapping him in a towel. With careful and gentle touches, Danny dried himself off without aggravating his skin anymore.

Stiles didn't even realize he had started crying again until Danny started kissing away the tears. He folded into Danny's strong grip, closing his eyes. Danny picked him up and carried him back into the bedroom. Danny pulled the towels away and tossed them on the ground before sitting down beside Stiles' head.

"What can I do Stiles? I don't know how to help," Danny said, voice soft.

Stiles stared at him for a long moment and then tugged Danny down on top of him. "Just distract me. Please."

Danny pressed a kiss against Stiles' lips once before pulling away. "Stiles, I really don't think that's the best idea."

The loss of contact was like a small death that had Stiles reaching out to desperately grab at Danny's wrist to keep him from moving any further away.

"Danny, please. I just don't want to feel this way anymore."

Danny looked a bit helpless, but before he could protest further, Scott re-entered the room. He shut and locked the door behind him before folding his arms across his chest and giving them both a pointed look. His gaze settled on Danny last.

"Give him what he wants. I'll stop you if it gets to be too much for him," Scott said, then took a seat on the ground near the door.

Stiles nodded up at Danny when Danny turned to look back at him with an eyebrow raised in question. A bit of the tension that had been gnawing at Stiles' nerves melted away as he thought over Scott's words. It was easier to relax, knowing he was no longer responsible for his actions, at least for now. That was Scott's job.

He leaned up to help Danny out of his shirt and then his pants before locking his lips over Danny's pulse point along his neck. Danny's hands slid into his hair as he pressed closer. Stiles let his own hands drop down to cup Danny through his boxers, concentrating on the feel of him, the way he swelled and grew in Stiles' grasp because Stiles' hands were bringing pleasure, not pain.

Eventually, their lips found each other too. The kiss was warm and wet, with an edge of teeth that began to bring Stiles' arousal into the picture as well. As Stiles began to push Danny's boxers down and out of the way, Danny broke their kiss to start marking up the slim, pale skin of Stiles' neck. Keeping his movements slow, as if he were afraid of startling Stiles, Danny pushed him back down onto the bed before stretching out over him.

Their lips met again as Danny lined up their hips, pushing their cocks up against each other. Stiles gave a desperate moan at the contact, blunt nails scraping down Danny's back as he tried to push even closer. So lost in the taste and feel of Danny's body, Stiles didn't notice that Scott had grabbed a bottle of lube and climbed onto the bed to join them.

Danny sat up and grabbed the lube, and Stiles watched something pass between them. Scott leaned forward to kiss Danny once on the lips, quick, before retreating to where he'd been before. Stiles didn't bother to think too hard about it; he didn't have to. That was the whole point.

When Danny's slick hand closed around their cocks, Stiles threw his head back against the pillow and groaned, breath heaving out of his chest in one loud gasp. Danny's kisses were bruising, pushing Stiles deep into the mattress as he strove harder and harder to drive Stiles out of his mind. It was good, and Stiles didn't really have any reason to complain, but he needed more, needed to get Streiter's face out of his damn mind.

"More, Danny, please, please, more," Stiles begged against Danny's lips.

Danny pulled away and glanced over his shoulder as Stiles bucked his hips up against Danny's, trying to chase down his own pleasure. After presumably getting Scott's permission, Danny proceeded to kiss and suck his way down Stiles' chest, all while slicking up his fingers. Stiles pushed himself up onto his elbows as he spread his legs wider. He wanted to brand the image in his mind, memorize the look in Danny's eyes as he sucked on Stiles' hipbone and slid the tip of a finger in with no warning.

Stiles wanted to tell Danny not to bother because he wanted so badly for it to hurt, but he kept the words locked in his chest. Scott would never allow it, not when Stiles was still a virgin, and certainly not when he was so 'breakable.' Danny's mouth closing around the head of his cock chased any further dark thoughts far out of Stiles' mind.

With a rough cry, Stiles' hands dropped to tangle in Danny's hair, forcing him down as his hips bucked upwards. It was a selfish move, but Danny accepted the added length without pulling away. When the second finger slid in alongside the first, Danny tongued hard at the slit of Stiles' cock, the combined sensations forcing Stiles to accept defeat and finally squeeze his eyes shut tight from the pleasure. It was almost too much for Stiles to handle, but then Danny pulled off his dick.

Stiles went limp against the bed as Danny's fingers continued to pump and stretch inside of him. Danny's lips returned to his hip, scattering kisses and light bites across it as he snuck the third finger in as well. The stretch went from pleasurable to uncomfortable, not that Stiles actually minded, but then two of Danny's fingers found his prostate and began to rub and prod until Stiles' balls were drawing tight with the need to come.

Danny withdrew his fingers before it could happen though and once more Stiles was left to collapse back onto the bed, panting. Danny slicked up his cock with slow strokes as his eyes met Stiles'.

"You sure about this?" Danny asked.

Stiles swallowed thickly as he looked into Danny's eyes. There was love there, a deep amount of respect and care with a little bit of worry too.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Stiles said.

Danny maneuvered one of Stiles' legs up into the crook of his elbow before leaning up to press their lips together. The action opened Stiles up wide for the blunt pressure of Danny's cock against his hole. Danny rocked into him with short thrusts, letting Stiles' body adjust with each movement before pressing in further.

Once he bottomed out he stilled his hips, even as his lips continued to slide against Stiles'. The kiss was lazier, less frantic, but Stiles was barely paying attention to it, too caught up in the feeling of Danny's cock inside him. The stretch was delicious, a claiming thing that made Stiles feel safe and-

Stiles groaned, sucking at Danny's lower lip as Danny gave a slow rotation of his hips, driving his cock hard into Stiles. The action made his dick press steadily against Stiles' prostate, which was already sensitive thanks to Danny's earlier treatment. He'd thought he was going to want something harder, something that hurt, but Stiles was beginning to realize just how perfectly overwhelming the slow rocking of Danny's length inside of him could feel. Their kisses faded into more of soft gasps whispered against one another's lips, faint praise mixed with Danny's words and a gentle begging mixed with Stiles'.

When Stiles came, it was without ever needing more than the occasional rub of Danny's stomach against his cock as Danny pumped in and out of him. Danny moved to pull out completely as Stiles' orgasm began to taper off, but Stiles clenched his legs tight around Danny's hips, refusing to let him move anywhere.

"I want to feel you come," Stiles hissed out against his lips. "Need to feel it. C'mon Danny."

Danny gave a broken moan of Stiles' name in response before slamming his cock back inside Stiles' hole. It only took a few more thrusts for Danny to come thanks to the way Stiles bucked up into him and sucked mark after mark into Danny's collarbone. His hips gave small, jerking thrusts as he came and Stiles let himself go limp once more, closing his eyes and just _feeling_ the proof of Danny's pleasure and love marked up inside of him.

When they finally began to untangle themselves, Scott crawled back up onto the bed, this time with a warm wet washcloth which he handed off to Danny. Danny continued to kiss Stiles, small chaste meeting of lips that helped distract Stiles as Danny wiped them both down. The world was far from perfect; Stiles could still feel the dark panic lurking in his chest, but it was buried now, buried behind a wall of contentment and Danny's love.

Danny kissed him until his eyes slid closed and kept kissing him until Stiles fell back asleep.

 

-.-

 

Lydia woke with Allison's hair in her mouth. She pulled away abruptly and Allison gave a sleepy grumble in response, shifting over into the space Lydia had left behind. She had come over after the Argents had returned, triumphant from the fight, but with Stiles far from okay. Lydia knew she could trust the pack to take care of Stiles, but she wasn't quite sure anyone was in the mood to take care of Allison. Of course, it wasn't like she minded taking care of Allison.

After talking until late into the night, they had fallen asleep tangled up in each other's arms and for once, Lydia's dreams had been relatively normal. But now she was awake with a nagging sensation in the back of her mind that something was horribly wrong.

"Allison," she mumbled, prodding at Allison's shoulder. "Allison, wake up."

Allison rolled over before sitting up, rubbing at the sleep in her eyes and pushing her messy hair back. "What is it?"

"Something's wrong. Something with the pack, it has to be," Lydia said.

Allison reached over and turned on her lamp before turning back and grabbing Lydia's hands. "Is it from the pack bond or is it your powers saying that?"

Lydia shook her head a little helplessly as panic began to rise in her chest. "I don't know! I think it's...I just there's voices..." She ducked her head, not sure if that was quite right. "Not voices just a feeling, I feel like the pack is in danger, like they're going to die and I have to stop it."

"Okay, okay," Allison said, hopping out of bed and grabbing a ponytail holder to whisk her hair up and out of the way. "I'll get my dad. You call Derek and see if everyone's okay."

"Right," Lydia said. She grabbed her phone off the desk and hit the speed dial for Derek as she tugged on her jeans. It went to voicemail and she cursed before hitting the speed dial for Isaac.

The ringing faded to the back of her mind as a sudden smell hit her, two smells, combining together to make her stomach sink. It was the smell of gasoline, and the scent of something burning.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunters make a final stand.

Isaac grabbed his phone even as he was still coming out of the realm of sleep. The scent of gasoline hit him before he could answer and he rolled out of bed, stumbling for the door as he hit the answer button.

"Hello?" He moved down the hall to Erica's room.

"Isaac! You need to get everyone out of the house _right_ now." Lydia's voice was shrill in his ear.

"Yeah, I got that, how soon can you be here?"

"We're on our way. I think maybe Logan and Piper might want to help us so there's going to be a bit of a delay but just be careful. I don't know what's going to happen I just know something's wrong and-"

"Lydia, don't worry, we'll be fine," Isaac said. He hung up the phone as Erica emerged from her bedroom, already dressed.

"Where's Derek?" Erica asked.

"I don't know, he and Scott left awhile ago to go talk to Jackson I think," Isaac said.

They both bounded down the stairs, sliding to a halt when they reached the bottom. The front door was open and porch light was on, revealing a long line of mountain ash in front of the porch steps and all the way around, if Isaac was to guess. At the base of the steps stood Josh and Aspen, and between them was Sheriff Stilinski on his knees with two guns pressed to the base of his skull.

"What the hell is this?" Isaac demanded.

"Go get Stiles and we'll be happy to explain ourselves," Josh said.

Isaac snarled, claws coming out but he stayed where he was. "Erica, go get him."

"As we speak, my parents and my aunt are dousing every place they can reach of this filthy house with gasoline," Aspen said. "It already burned down once, so it really isn't that big of a deal to see it burn again. Actually, it's quite poetic if you think about it. The Hale Pack is just doomed to always end up as a pile of ash."

"Isaac, whatever they want, don't give it to them," John said.

Josh whipped the gun against the back of his head. "Shut it Stilinski, or I will put a god damn bullet through your stomach."

"Dad?"

Isaac turned around to see Stiles, a little woozy on his feet, standing between Danny and Erica.

"Well, now that everyone is here, let's do some explaining, shall we?" Aspen stepped away from the Sheriff to stand on the porch. "Did you happen to tell dear daddy just what you've been up to today Stiles?"

"Who cares, you want us so let him go and you just have us," Erica said.

"Oh, we already have you. You're not getting passed that line," Aspen said, pointing down at the mountain ash.

Stiles lunged towards the line, but Aspen stepped back to press the muzzle of her gun to John's forehead.

"You stay right there and tell him what you did," Aspen ordered.

Stiles swallowed thickly, stepping back as he stared down at his father. "Why are you doing this? What's the point?"

"What a naïve thing to ask." Stiles turned to see Lisa walking along the length of the porch, emptying her container of gasoline as she went. "You disgraced us quite a bit. It's only fair we do the same, but since you obviously do not want to talk, how about I just do it for you?"

"No!" Stiles shouted. Isaac hauled him back before he could step over the line, grip tightening when Stiles began to struggle.

"Because you see, Sheriff, your boy became a man today. He killed someone," Lisa said, raising her eyebrows as she glanced between them. "It was really rather impressive. I mean, you're the Sheriff so you should _probably_ arrest him but we understand that sometimes family gets special treatment. Don't worry though, we'll punish him for you."

"Stiles?" John's voice was soft and Stiles stared down at the ground as he began to cry, his chest tightening. "Stiles, what's going on?"

"So here's the thing, Stiles," Lisa said, turning to face him head on. "You and that other human boy are going to cross that line and you're going to watch as we burn down that pack you've tried oh so hard to protect. Then we'll be gone and you can go back to living your guilt filled life."

"And if you don't, we're putting a bullet through your dad's skull," Josh said. "Just in case that wasn't clear."

"Stiles, go," Isaac said.

"No, I'm not-"

Josh cocked the gun. Stiles and Danny held up their hands and walked across the line until they were standing on either side of John.

Lisa gave them all a smile and then turned to Aspen. "Let your father and Sara know the innocents are out of the way. Time to burn these monsters."

There was a sharp twang and then an arrow was spiraling through the air, burying itself in Lisa's shoulder and drawing attention away from the Sheriff. A hand wrapped around the back of Stiles' neck and yanked him and the Sheriff back, tossing them to the ground and Stiles watched as Logan leapt over them to dive at the porch, scattering the mountain ash with an outstretched hand.

Erica snarled and sprang off the porch to crash into Aspen. Stiles got to his feet and grabbed John's arm, hauling him back further into the woods and away from the fighting. Isaac growled and followed Erica's example as Allison leapt from the rooftop of the house. She went back to back with Isaac and fired off one of her bolts from her crossbow, but Josh had already ducked out of the way. He spun on his heel and fired his gun, but Isaac was already moving, spinning Allison out of the way to take the bullet in his shoulder.

Allison let Isaac lead her, bringing her crossbow up to block the cattle prod Lisa had been about to strike Isaac with.

"You should have left when I gave you the chance," Allison hissed, bracing her legs on the ground as Lisa tried to force her down.

"What are you going to do, girly? Kill me? You don't have the guts!"

"Allison, down!"

Allison ducked and rolled, coming up on her feet a moment later just in time to watch Logan drive his fist into Lisa's face. She cried out and then turned on her heel, laying Logan out on his back with a hard roundhouse kick that had Allison almost wincing in sympathy. There was the sound of more gunfire and Allison turned to see Aspen shoving Erica off of her, Erica who was gushing blood out of fresh bullet holes and gasping for air as Aspen pressed a boot to her neck.

Before Allison could move though, Stiles appeared with a large stick, cracking it against the back of Aspen's skull. She started to crumple and Erica threw her claws up just in time to sink them deep into Aspen's stomach. With a snarl, Erica tossed her aside, blood splattering across the crushed leaves as she did so. Stiles grabbed Erica's arm and hauled her back towards the Sheriff before racing back in, Danny at his side.

Allison swung her crossbow up and then raced towards Lisa, swinging it like a club and smashing it into the other woman's jaw. Lisa's head snapped hard with the movement, but as she whirled back to face Allison head on, an arm wrapped around Allison's throat and hauled her back.

"You wanna fight with the werewolves? Well you're going to die like them too," Sara hissed in her ear.

Lisa grinned and charged up the cattle prod before stepping towards her.

"Allison!" Lydia screamed as she rounded the corner of the house.

"No, Lydia, get away!" Allison shouted.

Lydia's eyes narrowed but before she could move, Piper tackled Lisa, sending the cattle prod flying through the air. Lydia managed to catch it as Piper drove her fist into Lisa's face, breaking her nose with one hard crack. Lisa yelled and bucked, hand fisting in her daughter's hair before tossing her away and into the bushes surrounding the porch.

Allison stomped hard down on Sara's foot before sinking her teeth into the flesh of her hand. Sara yelled and tossed her away before backhanding her hard and driving another fist into Allison's stomach. Winded, Allison stumbled back, crying out when Sara's knee jerked up hard into her jaw and to send her sprawling.

Isaac turned away from Josh at Allison's startled cry and he raced towards her without a second thought. He crashed into Sara like a hurricane, snarling as his claws raked at her side. Sara twisted and buried a knife deep into his gut before slicing up and then tossing him off of her and getting back up onto her feet. Lydia started forward with the cattle prod but Sara drew her gun and aimed it at Allison.

"Not another step, you banshee bitch," Sara said, grinning through the blood gushing from her own nose at Isaac's attack.

"Yeah, you might wanna rethink that phrase."

Allison's eyes widened as Boyd emerged from the shadows, Scott at his heels. He wrapped an arm around Sara's waist and with barely any show of effort at all tossed her into the nearest tree. Scott raced passed him and Allison turned to see Logan and Josh facing off, evenly matched blow for blow even with a bullet in Logan's leg, at least until Scott grabbed Josh by the arm and bit hard into his shoulder.

Josh fired his gun twice as he went down, one bullet catching Logan in the hip and the other burying itself in Scott's side. Scott didn't seem to care though, only roaring as his eyes flashed orange. Before he could do anything more though, Derek came crashing out of the trees. He tossed Scott aside and then spun, kicking Josh hard in the gut before grabbing his head and twisting hard.

The sickening crack seemed to echo around the woods and for a brief moment, the fighting ceased. Sara had pulled herself off the ground and was leaning heavily against the tree as she bled from her wounds, but she did not seem at all bothered by Josh's now dead body lying at Derek's feet. Piper rose to her feet and Allison did the same, wondering for a brief moment what she would do.

It had only been pure luck that the Grossmans had left Piper and Logan behind, saying they weren't good enough, and it was only at Lydia's insistence that they had even stopped by the house. Allison had managed to convince them to come help stop the bloodshed but now, with Josh so definitely dead, she wasn't sure how they would react.

She didn't get to find out because then Lisa was on her feet. She drew Piper's gun out of her holster and then jammed it hard into Piper's gut.

"This is what happens when you betray your family," Lisa hissed.

"Mom..." Piper's voice was a strained whimper.

Before Lisa could fire, Lydia closed the distance between them and shoved the cattle prod into Lisa's hip. With a startled cry, Lisa released the gun and fell to the ground, spasming. Sara whipped out her own gun but before she could fire it, another shot went off and Allison whirled to see her father making his way along the side of the house with Sean stumbling in front of him. Chris' gun was pointed at Sara and when Allison turned back, Sara had gone still on the ground, blood and brain bits spilling out of the wound in her head.

"That's two casualties, do you want to make it more?" Chris asked, shoving his gun against Sean's head. "Your sister is dead, and so is your nephew. Your wife...well, that's 10,000 volts. Enough to stun a werewolf. Who knows what it's doing to her?"

Allison grabbed Piper's arm before she could move, drawing her close as she began to tremble. "Dad, what are you doing?"

"I'm ending the problem right now," he said. "We can't let them live. This is what they'll do if we let them go."

"Do it already."

Allison and Piper turned to see Aspen getting to her feet with Logan's help, clutching her stomach as she did so.

"Kill him," Aspen said. "And then kill me, because we aren't ever going to stop."

"Aspen, stop." Piper's words were a desperate and whispered plea, and Allison wasn't sure if anyone else had heard them but her.

Aspen's face contorted in a snarl and she ripped a knife out of a hidden sheath before burying it in Logan's gut and shoving him aside. Sean seized the moment of surprise to snap his hands back and grab Chris' wrist, twisting it hard and then grabbing his gun before rising to his feet. He fired once, catching Piper in the hip even as Allison tried to twist them both out of the way.

Danny jumped over them, racing straight for Sean. He swung his staff, which he got from where Allison wasn't sure, knocking Sean's hand aside before twirling and driving it hard up into Sean's chin. Sean stumbled back, but before he could recover, Chris fired his gun again, killing him in one shot. By the time Allison turned back towards Aspen, she was dead on the ground and Derek was holding Logan's limp body in his arms.

"Scott, call your mom now," Derek ordered.

Piper began to puke, clutching at Allison's arm as she did so, tears streaming down her face, whether from pain or grief Allison wasn't sure. She hauled Piper closer, rocking her gently as she looked back at her father. She supposed they had won, but she wasn't quite sure she'd call it a victory.

 

-.-

 

Allison rubbed the back of Piper's hand with her thumb, trying not to think too hard about what was happening in Derek's bedroom upstairs. Lydia set freshly brewed coffee in front of both of them before taking a seat across the kitchen table from them with her own cup.

Melissa had arrived three hours ago and set about tending to Logan, Erica, and Isaac's wounds. Erica and Isaac were okay thanks to the werewolf healing, and were resting upstairs with Boyd. She'd learned that Jackson had been forced to stay at his house, given that none of them wanted him out fighting when the pack bond between them hadn't fully healed, which just left Stiles, Danny, Scott, her father, and the Sheriff in the living room to talk about what had really happened in the last forty eight hours. Derek had taken on the task of burning and burying the remains of the bodies.

"How did this happen?" Piper whispered. It was a far cry from the confidence she had demonstrated when side by side with her twin. "My family is gone."

"That's what this life does," Allison said. "You saw what it did to my family. It's...inevitable."

"You must think Logan and I are stupid to have gotten this far without once rebelling," Piper said, a twisted smile on her face.

"You rebelled when it mattered," Allison said. "Without your help, without Logan's, I'm not sure we would have lasted as long as we did. You made the right choice, even if it took you awhile-"

"How the fuck is helping people kill my own family the right choice?" Piper screamed as she leapt to her feet, ripping her hand out of Allison's. "Explain that to me!"

"Because they abused you," Allison said, slowly rising to her own feet. She placed her hands on Piper's shoulders and squeezed them hard as she stared into Piper's eyes, which were overrun with tears. "I'm not saying that means they deserved to die, but if you hadn't made a choice to step away from them, it would be you lying dead out in the woods. They abused you and manipulated you and they were not your family, Piper. Family doesn't do that."

"What the hell would you know? I loved them," Piper whispered. "My sister is dead and I helped you do it and-" She dissolved into more tears, punching at Allison's chest before collapsing against her and sobbing once more.

Allison ran her hands through the dirty blonde locks and rocked her where they stood, making small shushing noises as she did so. Her heart ached, seeing Piper's pain, despite everything they had done to her and her pack. How could it not, when she saw reflected in Piper's eyes, and in Logan's, what she herself had struggled with for so long?

"It's okay, Piper. It's okay to be angry, and upset, and it's okay to love them still," Allison said quietly against the top of her head. "But you're going to be alright, I promise. I promise."

"You can't promise that." Piper's words came out in halting, choked out gasps.

"Yes I can. You helped us, even if you helped yourself in the progress. We're not going to forget that, and we're not going to abandon you," Allison said.

Piper pulled back and wiped at her eyes. "But we almost killed you and your pack."

"And once upon a time I nearly killed Erica and Boyd," Allison said. "I believe in second chances, and I know my dad does too."

"We all do," Lydia said, getting to her feet. "But you need rest. We'll make sure Logan is okay."

Piper gave a slow nod and Allison took her hand once more to tug her towards the staircase. "Is your room okay Lydia?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Lydia said. "Sleep well, Piper."

Piper didn't respond.

 

-.-

 

"So really all of this is your fault."

"Dad-"

"Stiles, not now," John said.

Stiles shrunk back into his seat, leaning further into Danny's grip. Scott grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

"Yes, it is my fault," Chris said. "I never should have allowed Stiles to become our Champion. I never should have allowed him to start training in such a way, and I am sorry for that. If I had to do it again though, I'm not sure what choices I would have made that would have been different."

"You forced my son to kill a man," John said, getting to his feet.

"Dad, stop," Stiles said. His voice cracked a bit but he shoved his emotions down and got to his feet as well. "I know you think I'm a kid, and I think when I have time to actually sit and think about what the hell happened today, I'm...I'm not going to be okay. I never wanted to do any of that but I...I would do it again. This is my family, Dad. So are you, but don't pin this all on Chris. It's my fault too. I wouldn't let them say no."    

"Stiles, that's the whole point. He was supposed to say no anyways," John said. "Derek Hale is out in that woods burying bodies that I am going to have to pretend I never saw. You killed a man in a location none of you are willing to tell me. How could this possibly be your family when first of all, Chris lied to me, and second, they have brought you so much pain? That's not family-"

"So was mom not family? She brought us a lot of pain without meaning to."

"Stiles-"

"No, Dad, just, I love you but shut up, okay?" Stiles shook his head, trying to keep himself composed. "I get that all of this is shitty, but I'm in it now. I can't get out of it. I can't promise crap like this isn't going to happen again but there is nothing I can do to stop that. I don't need you to tell me this is fucked up, because I know it is, but I'm not walking away from it."

"You are if I make you," John said.

"I'm turning seventeen in a month. If I have to, I'll get emancipated, and if I'm seventeen I have a better chance of it going through," Stiles said.

"You aren't serious," John said.

"I am. And I feel guilty for threatening you like that, but I have to," Stiles said. "I want you in my life, Dad, I don't want anymore secrets. I wasn't lying when I told you that. From here on out, there won't be any, but I need you to trust me, and trust Chris, and trust them." Stiles gestured behind him. "I love you, Dad. And I need you because you're my family too and I wouldn't feel right if you weren't there."

For a long moment, John stared at him, then at Chris and then over at Scott and Danny. "God dammit." He tugged Stiles into a hard, tight hug. "I love you too, Stiles. I always will, you're my son."

Stiles shut his eyes tight and hugged back as tight as he could. "God..." A few more tears slid down his cheeks and he gave a short, gasping sob. "Dad...I want to go home."

John sighed. "Alright. Let's get you home then, kid." He looked up, meeting Chris' eyes across the living room. "If I ever find that you've hidden one more god damn thing from me, I'll kill you myself."

Chris nodded. "Understood."

 

-.-

 

For three weeks both Logan and Piper stayed in the spare room in the Argent household. They, and the rest of their family, had officially been reported missing, but Derek was confident that the bodies would never be found. Allison tried to talk to them, tried to help, but both grew silent. Sometimes, she still caught Logan looking at her from across the dinner table, an odd look in his eye she couldn't quite decipher.

The morning winter break started, she found a note on the kitchen counter, a simple thank you scrawled out in blue pen with Logan's initials. The few things Logan and Piper had brought with them to the house were gone. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it, not knowing where they were going. A part of her couldn't get Piper's words out of her head, and she wished that they had stayed so she could help them because she truly did know what they were feeling. But that just meant she could understand all the more why they had left.

It wasn't until she was cleaning the spare room to prepare for the early Christmas dinner she was having with Stiles, Lydia, and Danny later that week that she found a note tucked behind the headboard. She glanced at the bedroom door once before sitting down and unfolding it.

           

_Allison_ ,

_By now Piper and I are long gone. I'm not going to say thank you for what you did, because you did destroy my family even if I do understand why you did it. I don't blame you for the choices you made, and you have to live with yours just as Piper and I have to live with ours._

_That first night when you came to our house, I was blown away. You were strong and gorgeous, even if you were a little unsure of yourself. I wanted to help you because I admired you. I saw what I could be, what my family could be, with the right push and I thought maybe by helping you, I could be closer to being the person I wanted to be. It's hard though, spitting in the face of everything you've been taught your whole life._

_When you showed up at our house in the middle of the night, Piper and I knew why you'd come. We knew you'd want help stopping our family. They didn't let us go with them because they were worried we didn't have the stomach for the fighting, at least not the way we used to, and they were right. Piper wasn't going to help you, and neither was I, but you have to remember what you told us that night. You have to remember what you said that made us go because you can't ever let yourself forget to lives by those words._

_You told us that we had a chance to define ourselves by our actions. Either lie still and do nothing and let the world shape us and mold us to the form it saw fit, or fight back and shape the world in return. I've spent my whole life not moving and being pushed around and I didn't mind it, but when you said those words, I didn't want to do that anymore._

_I hate how that night turned out. I will never be able to get rid of the guilt I feel for the death of my family because in the end, you were just trying to save your family and I can understand that. I reached out and tried to shape my future and change the world as I knew it, and I did succeed. I changed the only world I ever knew and I can never go back. It's terrifying but I had to do it eventually._

_I'm sorry that this is how things turned out. I don't blame you for any of it, and neither does Piper. We're going to take some time off, figure out who we are. It's a bit difficult on the run, but we'll figure it out. Maybe it's bad to say this given the circumstances but...thank you. Though the circumstances are horrible, you pushed me to start standing up for myself. I don't know if I can ever repay you._

_I wish you all the best, Allison Argent. I wish the same for your pack. I would say you're going to be a great leader one day, but you already are._

_Logan_

When she turned the note over, there was a hastily scrawled number, as if he had been in a rush to write it out before he lost his nerve. She took a deep breath and folded the note closed before sticking it in her pocket. She would give him time, she would give them all time. After all, she had her pack to think about. A pack that was damaged and bruised and in great need of her help. She was no Alpha, but she was a woman from the Argent family, and that was no small thing.

 

-.-

 

Stiles woke up gasping for breath, tears streaming down his face and a scream half choked in his throat. His hands trembled as they reached for his lamplight and when his father barged into the room, he was on the floor with his head between his knees in a desperate attempt to keep his stomach down. John sighed and took a seat beside him before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Stiles slumped gratefully into the warm and steady grip.

"Does it get easier?" Stiles asked after a few moments. "The guilt I mean."

"It's only been a few weeks, son," John said.

"I don't mean now I mean...later."

John didn't say anything for a few long moments, only rubbing his thumb over Stiles' shoulder. "I killed my first man when I was on a training beat with a senior officer. We knew we were walking into a domestic dispute, but we didn't know the man had a gun. When we walked in, he shot my senior officer in the head. I shot him back and he died in his wife's arms. He had been beating her for weeks, and she cried and cried, and then she hit me over and over again until back up arrived."

Stiles shuddered and closed his eyes.

"I reacted to the situation the only way I knew how," John continued. "I did what I thought was best. I didn't have a choice. My senior officer was dead, the man had a gun, and I was next. So I did what I had to. He was an awful man, but his wife still grieved for him, and I still felt guilty for what I had done."

There was a sharp quip at the back of Stiles' throat, the stupid things he always wanted to say when things got too emotional, too close to the heart, but he held his tongue and squeezed his eyes shut tighter.

"I spent a long couple years feeling guilty for what I did, but four or five years later, I ran into that woman in the supermarket. I wanted to run, but I wasn't sure where to run to, so I ended up just standing with my cart just staring at her," John said. "She walked up to me and said 'You saved my life that night. I can't thank you for killing my husband, but I can thank you for saving me.'" John took a deep breath. "I mean, it's not perfect. At the time it didn't make me feel any better, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that she was right. I had taken a life but I had saved one too. All I had to do was make sure I was saving more lives than taking because the life I lead is one where I have to make those sorts of calls in the heat of the moment."

Stiles opened his eyes and pulled away, frowning as he looked at his father. "Dad..."

"What I'm saying, son, is that I was twenty one when that happened," John said. "I was by all accounts still a child, but I always knew that I wanted to be the person who helped save people's lives. That's what you're doing. You killed a man, yes, but he'd killed countless before, and he would've killed more if someone hadn't taken him down."

"Are you saying it's okay because he deserved it?" Stiles asked, a little confused.

"No. No one ever deserves it, Stiles. But you made a decision to save the lives of your loved ones, and lives of people who would have been affected by that man's choices later down the road. It's a choice that is almost impossible for anyone to make, but you did," John said.

Stiles glanced down at his hands as they curled into fists.

"You have to live with the consequences of that, and you're going to spend a lot of nights wondering if it was worth it, if you're a bad person because of it. I promise that you aren't," John said. He reached out and put a stern hand on Stiles' shoulder. "You're a brave young man, and I'm proud of what you've accomplished. I don't think I'll ever be able to give you my one hundred percent approval of the life you've chosen, but I can respect it. I know you're not doing it because you think it's cool, or anything like that. You're making an impossible choice for the ones you love and that proves that you're an adult more than anything else does."

"Dad..." Stiles looked up at him, then lunged forward and hugged him tight. John hugged him back, squeezing the back of his neck once before pulling away and getting to his feet.

"It's okay to feel guilty, Stiles, but you've got to forgive yourself eventually," John said. "I forgive you, okay?"

"You're my dad, you have to forgive me," Stiles said through a watery smile.

"Well yeah, but my point still stands," John said with a small chuckle. "You going to be able to go back to sleep?"

Stiles shook his head. "I'll just do some reading, get ahead in my classes. It's not a big deal."

"Alright." John headed for the door, pausing in the doorway to turn and look at him. "Good night, son. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad."

John shut the door behind him, and for a long while, Stiles stayed where he was on the floor, staring up at his ceiling and thinking over what his dad had said. It made sense, he supposed. He had done what he did in an effort to save lives. They all had. He'd still taken a life, but he couldn't hold that over his own head forever. After all, his dad had been forgiven, and he didn't think there was anyone he'd have to worry about getting forgiveness from with Streiter's death.

The only real forgiveness he needed was from his dad, and he had that. He'd always have that. After everything, the lies, the crimes, all of it, his dad still loved him, and still supported him. It was more than he could hope for. It wouldn't make the nightmares go away, but perhaps it was enough to start chipping away at the guilt. It would have to be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first of all, I need to thank a few people. SublimeDiscordance and Caelann, for putting up with my ramblings and encouraging me to rewrite scenes that desperately needed it. Akileh93 and Pennatus for dealing with my irl self while I constantly worried about certain scenes. This story would not have been finished without them.
> 
> And also, of course, thank you to all the people who constantly encouraged me with their comments and kudos and bookmarks. You're all fantastic and I'm so glad that you've enjoyed this story so much to make it to the end! There is more of this series to come so don't worry! Thank you for reading.


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